Alternate Bearing, Chlorophyll Fluorescence Performance, Vegetative Growth and Fruit Quality of Seedless Barberry Under Different Mulching Treatments

Abstract

Improving water conservation is crucial for supporting fruit productivity in arid and semi-arid areas. Thus, a 2-year experiment was conducted to assess the effect of different mulches on the vegetative and reproductive growth of seedless barberry (Berberris vulgaris L.) during two growing seasons. Treatments included white polyethylene (WP), black polyethylene (BP), pine leaf (PL) and bare soil (control). Some traits were evaluated on bearing and non-bearing shoots. Mulching significantly increased the photosynthetic pigments, carotenoid, leaf area, Fv/Fm, shoot length and diameter, node and cluster number, berry fresh weight, total phenols and anthocyanin content of juice as well as improving color development. Polyethylene mulches were better compared to PL. Regarding the data presented here, it can be concluded that this plant grows under stressed conditions and that mulching improved the growth and yield characteristics of this plant.