temperature was studied during two successive seasons of 2002 and 2003 at Kaha
experimental station, Agricultural Research Center, Cairo, Egypt (Latitude,
longitude, and altitude are 30.8, 31.15, and 16.9 m respectively). Cucumber
seedlings (Cucumis sativus L. F1 local hybrid Sinai 1) were grown in clay soil under
unheated two plastic houses. One of them was covered with one year old cladding
material (PE 200μm) while the other was covered with new cladding. Soil surface
was covered with different plastic mulch colors, i.e., black, silver, and transparent,
in addition to a new suggested mulch that was craft-paper saturated with paraffin
wax. Soil temperatures were measured at 5 cm depth. Global solar radiation and air
temperature were measured inside and outside the greenhouses. The vegetative
growth , i.e., plant height, leaf number, leaf fresh and dry weight, early and total
yield were recorded. The results showed that new cladding cover promoted plant
growth and yield. Craft-paper saturated with paraffin wax gave the highest soil
temperature during the sunny days in comparison with other mulches and best
results concerning vegetative growth and yield were obtained by both black mulch
and craft-paper saturated with paraffin