The time to breakdown of the films was similar since exposure
to average radiation was in the range 25–30 MJ/m2 for all films.
The maximum and minimum soil temperatures at the planting
depth were higher under the films compared with the control (bare
soil) (Table 2). Over the duration of measurement the average soil
temperatures under the thin films were 2 ◦C higher than the suggested optimum (16 ◦C) at planting depth, while the temperature
between the soil surface and film was in excess of 50 ◦C (Table 2).
The mean volumetric soil water content for the surface
(0–50 mm) was not different between treatments, but was 0.6%
higher under the thin film compared with the control (Table 2).
Emergence under the thin film occurred 4 days earlier compared
with the control (data not shown). However, the survival of the
emerged cotton was poor; 0.4–1.6 vs 13.4 plants/m (Table 3) due