Effect of Mulching and Irrigation Levels on Soil Temperature, Soil Moisture and Yield of Drip Irrigated Cauliflower

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted at Instructional Farm of Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr.BSKKV, Dapoli (India), during Rabi season in 2014-2015. The main objective of the study was to investigate the effect of mulching and irrigation levels on soil temperature, soil moisture, and yield of drip irrigated cauliflower. The field experiment was laid out in Split Plot Design (SPD) with three irrigation levels in the main plots and four mulching levels in the sub plots. Treatments were replicated four times. Soil temperature was measured at 5 cm and 15 cm soil depth. The morning soil temperature was found maximum (20.38ºC) at 15 cm depth under black plastic mulch. The afternoon soil temperature was found maximum (25ºC) at 5 cm depth under black plastic mulch. Silver mulch had minimum temperature variation (0.75ºC) and maintained the soil temperature within the optimum temperature range for cauliflower (15 - 22ºC). The soil moisture content was maintained close to field capacity (26.01 per cent) throughout the growing period under a combination of 0.8 ETc and silver plastic mulch. The same treatment combination had maximum yield (29.69 t ha^-1), water use efficiency (12.92 q ha^-1cm^-1), net income (Rs. 5,57,159.35 ha^-1) and B: C ratio (2.67). It was concluded that, in order to obtain higher marketable yield, water use efficiency and net return of cauliflower during Rabi season, use of 80 percent of crop water requirement through drip irrigation with silver mulch could be the best option under agroclimatic conditions of Dapoli in Konkan region of Maharashtra, India.