Influence of Mulching on Growth and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under Protected Environment

Abstract

Aims: To determine the effect of various mulches on growth and yield of tomato and to work out the economics of cultivation under protected environment. Study Design: Randomized Block Design with three replications. Place and Duration of Study: Research farm, Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, CSK HPKV, Palampur during 2016 and 2016-17. Methodology: The experiment consists of nine different mulch treatments. The observations were recorded viz., days to 50 per cent flowering, days to first harvest, number of nodes/plant, internodal length, plant height, number of fruits/plant, average fruit weight, yield per meter square, harvest duration, net returns and output: input ratio. Observations were recorded on 5 plants chosen at random in each entry and replication. Results: Significantly highest fruit yield of 10.9 kg/m2 was obtained in M7 i.e. double shaded plastic mulch and was statistically at par with M6 i.e. black colour plastic mulch (10.2 kg/m2). Mulch showed significant variation in a number of fruits/plant. M7 i.e. double shaded plastic mulch (40.4) remained statistically at par with M6 (39.5) and M1 (38.6) produced significantly more number of fruits/plant. Significantly highest net returns (Rs.147.6/m2) were observed in M7, as compared to other mulches. Conclusion: It can be concluded that use of double shaded and black colour synthetic mulch significantly increased the growth, yield and yield contributing characters in addition to net returns in tomato under the protected environment.