Effects of Different Mulch Materials on Weed Control and Yield in Onion (Allium cepa L.) Cultivation

Cemal Tülek; Harun Alptekin; Ramazan Gürbüz; Seren Doğar Kavan

doi:10.29133/yyutbd.1825229

Effects of Different Mulch Materials on Weed Control and Yield in Onion (Allium cepa L.) Cultivation

Abstract

This study was conducted in 2025 under Konya/Beyşehir ecological conditions to evaluate the effects of different mulch materials on weed control, plant growth, and yield in onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivation.Wheat straw, wood shavings, mulch film, beet pulp, and pine needles were used as treatment materials in the study, and weedy and weed-free control plots were compared. The findings showed statistically significant differences between the treatments (p<0.01). While weed emergence was completely suppressed in the plastic mulch and weed-free plots, among the organic mulches, shavings (79.19%) and straw (79.82%) showed the highest suppression effect. The highest values were determined in weedy control plots (1412.50 g m⁻² fresh; 525.25 g m⁻² dry weight), while plastic mulch and weed-free applications showed 100% effectiveness. The highest yield value of 60.16 t ha⁻¹ was obtained in the weed-free application, while shavings (55.82 t ha⁻¹) and straw (55.40 t ha⁻¹) applications also gave similarly high results. All mulch applications significantly increased onion yield compared to the weedy control. According to weedy conditions, mulch applications increased yield by 50–90%. According to regression decision tree analysis, it was determined that the variable affecting yield the most was weed fresh weight, and at values above 505 g m⁻², yield decreased to an average of 33.5 t ha⁻¹. Overall, mulching proved to be an effective and environmentally sustainable strategy for suppressing weeds, enhancing onion yield, and reducing dependence on herbicides in onion cultivation.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Herbology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Cemal Tülek
0000-0003-3898-9646
Türkiye

Harun Alptekin ^*
0000-0001-9319-311X
Türkiye

Ramazan Gürbüz
0000-0003-3558-9823
Türkiye

Seren Doğar Kavan
0000-0003-2757-594X
Türkiye

Publication Date

February 19, 2026

Submission Date

November 17, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 24, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.29133/yyutbd.1825229

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA94AA95NY

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Tülek, C., Alptekin, H., Gürbüz, R., & Doğar Kavan, S. (2026). Effects of Different Mulch Materials on Weed Control and Yield in Onion (Allium cepa L.) Cultivation. Yuzuncu Yıl University Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 1, 1825229. https://doi.org/10.29133/yyutbd.1825229