Effects of usage of hazelnut husk as organic mulch on plant development, irrigation and weeds

In our research, utilization of hazelnut husks which is an end product obtained after harvesting of hazelnut which is grown in large quantities in our region as organic mulch useful for the soil has been studied for its effects on decreasing irrigation, preventing weeds and positive effects on plant development. Experiment was designed as 3x4x3=36 pots, three at a time in replication, according to randomized blocks experimental design as 0 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm, 8 cm mulch levels and irrigation, weed control and plant development criteria. In 12 pots, water consumption, in 12 pots, weed development, in last 12 pots, plant development of different mulch levels were studied. Plants and weeds to be grown in these pots were chosen as Ligustrum japonicum and Lolium perenne and Agropyron repens, respectively. SPSS package software was used for statistical analysis of values obtained during 6 months measuring period of each plant which shows similar characteristics with respect to soil volume which has different hazelnut husk density, plant height and habitat, as irrigation water amount, weed germination volume, weed weight, plant height, root and trunk development. `?One-way Analysis of Variance?? (One way ANOVA-Tukey) was applied for this purpose. Multiple Regression Analysis was also applied in order to introduce differences in simultaneous effects of all factors. In this experiment, it was observed that hazelnut husk used as organic mulch had decreased water consumption by 18,95%, weed germination by 94,20% for Lolium perenne and 67,12% for Agropyron repens and increased plant development by an average of 39,9% for offshoot length and an average of 67.3% for root development.Keywords: Plant Development, Hazelnut Husk, Organic Mulch, Irrigation, Weed.