RESPONSE OF TWO VARITIES OF CUCUMBER(Cucumis sativus L)TO SOIL MULCHING BY DIFFERENT COLORS OF PLASTIC MULCHING AND PLANT SPACING AND THEIR EFFECT ON YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS UNDER UNHEATED PLASTIC HOUSE

Abstract

ABSTRACT The experiment was carried out in the plastic house – Department Horticulture and Landscape Design. College of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul, during the growing season of 2013-2014.To study the response of two cultivars of cucumber to mulching and planting space their effect on yield and yield components of plant ..The result showed that mulching was superior all the characters especially blue plastic on number of fruit per plant , average fruit weight per plant, early yield , yield per plant Kg/plastic house-1,total yield tons/plastic house compared with no mulch . the plant spacing (40)cm superiorities to (20) cm in number and weight fruit and yield plant but the plant spacing (20)cm gave the maximum valuation on the early and total yield , Karol varieties superiorities on weight fruit and total yield compare with safe varieties , the overlapping between mulch/ varieties/ plant spacing, were safe varieties under blue with clear mulch and 20 cm gave maximum in early yield compare with Karol , safe varieties under 40 cm without mulch ,and safe varieties under blue mulch and 40 cm recorded highest valuation in number of fruit and weight of fruit and yield plant compare with Karol , safe varieties under 20 cm plant spacing without mulch , the Karol varieties gave highest valuation by total yield t/plastic house under green mulch and 20 cm plant spacing compare with safe varieties under plant spacing (40)cm without mulch