Influence of Plastic Mulching and Irrigation Levels on Soil Temperature, Moisture and Water Use Efficiency of Tomato Crop (Solanum lycopersicum)

Abstract

Farmers in India rarely employ plastic mulches in tomato cultivation, despite the fact that it has the potential to save irrigation water, manage weeds, and increase output. The precision of irrigation water for tomato production using various colour plastic mulches was evaluated in an experimental farm at UAS-Raichur. Because of the effect of irrigation levels, the 120 percent evapotranspiration based irrigation treatment had the most soil moisture availability, while the 60 percent evapotranspiration irrigation by drip had the lowest, and optimal soil moisture was maintained using plastic colour mulches. The maximum temperature was recorded in white on black plastic colour mulch (3.690C), which absorbs 100 percent of solar radiation, and the highest temperature was measured in black plastic colour mulch (3.690C), which absorbs 100 percent of solar radiation (2.250C). The water use efficiency was highest when 80 percent ET was combined with white on black plastic colour mulch (26.77 kg/m3).