ABSTRACT
Dry mulch, as soil moisture conservation techniques,
is seldom practiced for growth and survival of transplanted tree seedlings in
dry period in Eritrea. Field experiment was conducted at Halhale, Eritrea with
Dry Hyparrhenia rufa, as
a mulch, on a flat basin for growth and survival of seedlings of Grevillea robusta and Acacia polyacantha subspecies Campylacantha by involving four management practices: 1) mulching
and watering basins (MW); 2) no-mulching but watering basins (NMW); 3) mulching
but no-watering basins (MNW); 4) no-mulching and no-watering basins (NMNW). The experimental design
was CRD with three replications. MW and NMW were watered 180 litters (20
litters/month) but MNW and NMNW were not watered at all. Parameters such as
soil moisture content of the basin, early growth performance of seedling and
survival rate of the seedlings were studied. The result indicated that there
were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05)
among the treatment for soil moisture content and early growth performance of
the seedlings. The average volumetric water content (VWC%) on 0 - 20 cm soil
depth at the end of dry period of MW, NMW, MNW, and NMNW were 10.08%, 7.7%, 6.3% and 3.9% respectively.
Mean height increment of seedlings of G. robusta of MW (100 cm), NMW (83.3 cm), MNW (31.5 cm) and NMNW (9 cm) were recorded, while
the mean height increments of seedlings of A. polyacantha subsp. Campylacantha of MW (48 cm), NMW (25 cm), MNW (4.5 cm) and NMNW (3 cm) were recorded. The mean survival rate of G. robusta was 91.8% of which the highest (100%) survival rate was
recorded under MW, NMW and MNW, but the lowest (66.7%) was recorded by NMNW.
All seedlings of A. polyacanth subsp. Campylacantha were
survived, irrespective of the treatments. The study concluded that soil
moisture content, early growth performance of seedlings, and survival rate of
transplanted tree seedling was improved by application of mulch.