COLORED MULCHES AFFECT YIELD OF FRESH-MARKET TOMATO INFECTED WITH MELOIDOGYNE-INCOGNITA

The effects of different-colored polyethylene mulches on the quantity and spectra of reflected light, earliness of fruit set, fruit yield an d quality, and root-knot disease were studied in field-grown, staked t omato (Lycopersicon esculentum). White mulch reflected more photosynth etic light and a lower far-red-to-red ratio than red mulch, whereas bl ack mulch reflected less than 5 percent of any color. Soil temperature s and fruit yields were recorded for tomato plants inoculated with Mel oidogyne incognita race 3 at initial populations of 0, 1,000, 10,000, 50,000, or 100,000 eggs/plant and grown over black, white, or red plas tic mulch in both spring and fall. Soil temperatures were lower under white mulch than under red or black mulch. Tomato yields declined as i noculum level increased. Plants grown over red mulch in the spring and inoculated with 50,000 eggs of M. incognita had greater early marketa ble yields than similarly inoculated plants grown over black or white mulch. Tomato plants inoculated with 100,000 eggs and grown over white mulch or red mulch in the spring had greater total yields per plot th an similar plants grown over black mulch (7.39 kg and 7.71 kg vs. 3.65 kg, respectively).