Effect of irrigation levels and polyethylene mulching on growth, yield and quality of rabi onion (Allium cepa)

Abstract

Water conserving irrigation technologies, are used now a days for economic and environmental sustainability of commercial agriculture. An experiment was laid in randomized block design to find out the effect of two irrigation methods on onion (Allium cepa L.) crop. The treatments comprised conventional furrow irrigation and drip irrigation at three levels, viz. 100, 80 and 60% of the ET (i.e. DI₁₀₀, DI₈₀ and DI₆₀) with and without polythene mulch. The study indicated that irrigation methods and levels manipulated the moisture content of the soil comprehensively and soil moisture was near to the field capacity throughout the growth period in DI₁₀₀ and DI₈₀ with mulch, whereas, in conventional furrow irrigation, the soil moisture status varied from field capacity to about 50% moisture depletion conditions. Plant height, equatorial and polar diameter of the bulbs was observed to be significantly affected by irrigation methods, levels and mulching treatments. The total and grade wise bulb yield was appreciably higher under DI₁₀₀ and DI₈₀ with as compared to furrow irrigation. Water use efficiency was found to be the highest in the DI80 application of polyethylene mulching further increased the water use efficiency to the tune ranging from 5-15%.