Kwabiah (2004) reported maximum
air temperatures up to 20°F (11°C) higher under plastic mulch
than on bare soil plots. Mulching avoids the fluctuations in
temperature in the first 20–30-cm depth in soils. This favors
root development, and the soil temperature in the planting bed
is raised, promoting faster crop development and earlier harvest.
When the crop canopy covers the surface of the mulch bed, soil
temperatures among different mulch colors are approximately
equal