Interactive effects of coloured mulches on soil thermal regime, plant growth and yield of tomato under protected and open condition

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of different coloured mulches on soil temperature and yield parameters of tomato crop in open and polyhouse conditions. In this study four different mulch treatments were used as: T1 (Black+Black), T2 (Silver+Black), T3 (Black+Silver) and T4 (without mulch). The highest soil temperature was found in treatment T1 and the lowest temperature value was found in T4 in both polyhouse and open field condition. In treatment T1 the average soil temperature was found 3.9° higher than T4 under polyhouse condition and 3.4° higher in T1 treatment than T4 under open field conditions, respectively. The overall average temperature in T1, T2, T3 and T4 was found to be 22.70, 20.80, 21.78 and 18.70, respectively in polyhouse conditions and 21.50, 19.56, 20.49 and 18.04 under open field conditions, respectively. The fruit yield per plot was found to be higher in treatment T2 as 168kg, followed by treatment T3 as 137kg, T1 as 122kg and lowest value in T4 as 79kg under polyhouse conditions. Similar trend was observed under open field with highest value in treatment T2 as 111kg, followed by T3 as 101kg, T1 as 95kg and lowest value in T4 as 54kg. Thus, mulching helps in regulating the soil temperatures which leads to better yield and early production of crop. The result revealed that silver mulch results in significantly better yield in comparison to black mulch, it improves light reflection and enhances photosynthesis of crop.