This difference in shoot biomass was associated with different growth rates for each treatment (Fig. 6c and d). During the VS stage, the growth rate under the GM treatment was slightly higher in 2010 and was significantly higher in 2011 compared with the CK treatment. The FM caused a significantly higher growth rate compared with the CK treatment in both years: 81% higher during VE–V6, 71% higher during V6–V12, and 66% higher during V12–R1 stages in 2010 (Fig. 6c). In 2011, the increases were 13% during VE–V6, 265% during V6–V10, and 60% during V10–R1 (Fig. 6d). During the RS stage, except during R5–R6, the growth rate under the FM and GM treatments was lower than that of the CK treatment in 2010. However, in 2011, the growth rate under mulch treatments was significantly higher than that of the CK treatment, especially in the GM treatment during the R1–R5 stages (Fig. 6d).