Soil mulching with straw in broccoli cultivation for early harvest

All treatments which protect soil from degradation and use of plant protection methods, other than chemicals are of great importance in the cultivation. This effect is attributed, among others, to organic mulches. By limiting the growth of weeds, maintaining proper moisture and reducing daily temperature fluctuations, mulch improves soil conditions for plant growth and development. The experiment was carried out between 2010 and 2012 at the Experimental Farm in Zawady as a split-block design with three replicates. The effect of the kind of straw (rye, corn, rape, buckwheat) and its dose (10 and 20 t ha^-1) applied as a mulch on the yield and quality of broccoli ‘Milady F1’ cultivated for early harvest was investigated. The effect of straw was compared to a control plot without mulch. Weather conditions in the successive years of the study had a significant influence on the yield and quality of broccoli. The highest yields with the best parameters were obtained in 2010 and 2012, which were characterized by sufficient rainfall for broccoli. It was not found significant differences in the yield level and weight of head between particular kinds of straw, however, all kinds of straw investigated in the experiment, irrespective of dose, contributed to a significant increase in the yield and favourably influenced the biometric features of broccoli compared to that achieved from cultivation without straw. Soil mulching with corn straw was most favourable to yield and its parameters.