Effects of Plastic Mulching on Soil Moisture and Vegetative Growth of Young Olive Trees in Semi-Arid Mediterranean Conditions

Abstract

The cultivation of young olive trees in semi-arid environments is affected by two factors: soil moisture and cultivar selection. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of plastic mulching on conservation of soil moisture and the early vegetative growth. Two olive cultivars were experiments, Coratina (C₁) and Koroneiki (C₂), in the Sirte region of central Libya. Two yeas sapling were planted and watered using a drip irrigation system. Various vegetative growth parameters include average height, stem diameter, canopy width, and number of shoots, were recorded at nine-month intervals. Both the cultivar selection and mulching were shown to possess a significant impact on growth under the Sirte environmental conditions. Statistical analysis exposed that, Coratina appeared superior vegetative growth compared to Koroneiki. Olive cultivars' growth was enhanced through use plastic mulching by up to 12% for tree height and up to 14 % for both canopy width and stem diameter. As well, number of shoots increase for both cultivar (C₁) (C₂) 10 shoots. Furthermore, mulched plots displayed a higher abundance of soil moisture across both depth profiles. Especially in upper layer 0-30 cm due to y reduce surface evaporation. However, the result illustrated that, Coratina trees consumed soil moisture more rapidly, corresponding to its greater growth vigor and higher transpiration demands. These findings demonstrate that plastic mulching plays crucial role in improving water use and enhance juvenile tree growth. The effective application of plastic mulching in Libya may have significant implications for other semi-arid Mediterranean climates.