An experiment was conducted to study the effects of mulching on acid lime during 2014-2015 in Randomized Block Design with 9 treatments and 3 replications. The highest increase on plant height (6.63 %), canopy spread in E-W (9.90 %) and N-S (7.60 %) direction was recorded by polythene mulch with black side facing upward (T8 ). The treatment also had a significant influence on yield and yield attributing parameters where T8 recorded the highest number of fruits per plant (163.0), fruit weight (50.22 g) and fruit yield per plant (7.81 kg) while dry grasses mulch (T2) recorded highest number of fruits per branch (7.50) and fruit retention (44.71 %). With respect to quality parameters of fruit, T8 recorded highest total sugar (0.40 %) and reducing sugar (0.61 %) while significant increase on titratable acidity (6.93 %) and ascorbic acid content (33.46 mg/100g) was observed in T2.
Among soil parameters, maximum moisture content (36.06 %) was observed in T8 while maximum organic carbon (3.11 %), available nitrogen (428.47kg/ha), phosphorus (45.17 kg/ha) and potassium (575.06 kg/ha) content were recorded by saw dust mulch (T7). The treatment recorded highest microbial population of bacteria (83.45 × 105) in paddy straw mulch (T4) and fungi (119.34 × 105) in rice husk mulch (T5). The study revealed that T8 was the most effective with respect to plant growth, fruit yield and quality while T4 also proves to be the best ideal treatment for improving soil health in acid lime.
Click here to read the full article.
Article Source:
International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology
Esther Lalruatsangi and B.N. Hazarika
https://www.researchgate.net
Image Source: