INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT MULCHING MATERIALS ON SOIL TEMPERATURE AND GERMINATION OF PICKLING CUCUMBERS

At present 30% of the german cultivation of pickling cucumbers is located in Bavaria. Frequent difficulties arise from climatic reasons at the germination of the seed. The minimum germination temperature of 12°C often is not reached in the middle of May. Delays or losses increase the risk. Occasionally a sowing is destroyed by late frosts, so that a second sowing has to follow. The high seed prices of new hybrid varieties force a reduction of this risk.

At the moment we are testing how far rapidity and safety can be increased by mulch materials, including Esso agricultural mulch, a bitumen emulsion. Opposite to plastic film the bitumen emulsion can be applied with sprayers and there is also no expense to remove the material in autumn since the emulsion decomposes itself after 6 weeks.