Advantages of silver-gray mulch film in strawberry cultivation

I. Repelling aphids and reducing viral diseases

1. Physical pest control principle

The reflective properties of silver-gray mulch have a strong repellent effect on aphids (aphids are sensitive to the silver-gray spectrum), significantly reducing the density of aphids in greenhouses or fields and reducing the risk of transmission of strawberry viral diseases (such as strawberry vein banding virus and mild yellow edge virus).

2. Application effects

Aphid incidence can be reduced by 50%~70%, especially during the seedling stage of strawberries (within 1 month after planting), effectively preventing leaf wrinkling and plant dwarfing caused by viral diseases.

Reduces the number of pesticide applications (can reduce 2-3 insecticide sprays), meeting the requirements of green planting.

II. Reflective supplementary lighting to improve fruit quality

1. Light optimization mechanism

Silver-gray mulch reflects sunlight to the lower part of the strawberry plant, increasing the amount of light (especially scattered light) on the leaves and fruit:

Leaves: Promotes photosynthesis, enhances plant growth, and delays leaf senescence.

Fruit:

Fruit coloring is more uniform (especially on the side close to the ground), and the proportion of red fruit increases by 20%~30%.

The soluble sugar content increases by 1~2 percentage points (e.g., from 8% to 9%~10%), the sugar-acid ratio improves, and the flavor is richer.

2. Applicable scenarios

Accelerated cultivation (e.g., early-maturing strawberries planted in September and harvested in November): When there is insufficient light in winter, the reflective effect can compensate for the lack of light in the greenhouse.

High-frame strawberries (substrate cultivation): Mulch is laid on both sides of the planting trough, and the reflected light directly acts on the fruit ears, resulting in higher coloring efficiency.

III. Regulating soil temperature to meet the growth needs of strawberries

1. Early spring warming and summer cooling

In the early spring low-temperature period: Although the warming effect of silver-gray mulch is weaker than that of transparent mulch, it can stabilize the soil temperature (2~3℃ higher than that of open fields), promoting early strawberry root development and advancing germination and flowering by 5~7 days.

Late spring and early summer: As the temperature rises, silver-gray mulch reflects part of the heat, preventing the soil temperature from exceeding 25℃ (the optimal temperature for strawberry roots is 15~22℃), preventing high temperatures from inhibiting root absorption function, and extending the harvesting period.

2. Preventing physiological disorders

Avoid abnormal development of floral organs (such as an increase in malformed fruits) caused by drastic fluctuations in soil temperature.

Summer seedling coverage (such as strawberry mother plant propagation): Reduces the temperature of the seedling bed and reduces the occurrence of anthracnose (the high incidence temperature of anthracnose is 28~35℃).

IV. Suppressing weeds and reducing management costs

1. Light-shielding and weed-suppressing effect

Silver-gray mulch has low light transmittance (usually <10%), which can effectively inhibit weed germination (such as crabgrass and foxtail, etc., annual weeds), reducing the number of manual weeding times (3~4 times less weeding in open field cultivation).

2. Labor saving and efficiency improvement

Especially suitable for large-scale planting bases, reducing labor costs (saving 2~3 workers per mu for weeding).

Avoids potential damage to strawberry roots from herbicides (e.g., alachlor may cause root malformation).

V. Improving the soil environment and reducing diseases

1. Reducing humidity and inhibiting fungal diseases

Mulch blocks soil water evaporation, reducing the humidity of the greenhouse air (relative humidity can be reduced by 10%~15%), and inhibiting gray mold (high humidity is the main condition for the prevalence of gray mold).

Fruit is isolated from the soil, reducing fruit rot caused by contact with soil (such as Phytophthora fruit rot).

2. Balance of water retention and aeration

Silver-gray mulch is mostly micro-permeable, which can keep soil moisture stable (water content is 5%~8% higher than that of open fields), while avoiding waterlogging and root rot, especially suitable for sticky soil.

VI. Promoting early maturity and increasing yield

1. Advance in growth period

Stable increase in soil temperature in early spring, advancing the flowering period of strawberries by 3~5 days, and the fruit maturity period by 7~10 days, seizing the high-price period of the market (e.g., listing before New Year's Day and Spring Festival).

2. Yield increase

Single fruit weight increases by 5%~10% (e.g., the single fruit weight of Hongyan strawberries increases from 25g to 28~30g), and the yield per mu can increase by 10%~15% (due to reduced diseases and improved photosynthetic efficiency).

Usage tips and precautions for silver-gray mulch

1. Laying time

Accelerated cultivation: Cover immediately after planting (mid-to-late September), combined with drip irrigation tape laying, covering the film while breaking the film to lift seedlings, avoiding high-temperature steaming of seedlings.

Open field cultivation: Cover after the soil thaws in early spring (mid-to-late March), you can cover the mulch first and then drill holes for planting, or cover the mulch immediately after planting.

2. Supporting management

Drip irrigation system: Lay drip irrigation tapes under the mulch to achieve integrated water and fertilizer management, avoiding damage to the mulch caused by manual watering.

Edge fixing: Use soil blocks or film pressing lines to press the edges of the mulch to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.

3. Combination with other mulches

Two-color mulch film: Silver-gray side up (reflects light to repel aphids), black side down (weed suppression), suitable for plots with high weed control requirements.

Degradable mulch film: Prioritize degradable silver-gray mulch film (such as polylactic acid material) to reduce white pollution, especially suitable for organic strawberry cultivation.

4. Cleaning and Maintenance

Regularly clean the surface of the mulch film (once a month). A soft brush or clean water can be used to rinse, maintaining the reflective effect (dust can reduce the reflectivity by more than 40%).

Summary: Comprehensive benefits of silver-gray mulch film

In strawberry cultivation, silver-gray mulch film, through its multiple functions of **pest control + supplemental lighting + temperature control + weed suppression**, achieves the goals of high quality, early maturity, labor saving, and reduced pesticide use, especially suitable for facility cultivation and high-quality strawberries (such as picking gardens and branded fruits). Combining variety characteristics (such as Red Yan and Zhang Ji) and local climate to adjust usage details can maximize its application value.