Comparison of Growth and Yield Performance of Okra Crop under Mulching Systems

Abstract

Okra (Abelmoschus esculents L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops grown throughout the tropics and subtropics. The nutritional value of 100 g of edible portion of okra contains about 1.9 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 6.4 g carbohydrate, 0.7 g minerals and 1.2 g fibre (Gopalan et al., 1989). Okra crop is grown year round under varied soil and climatic conditions of India and also has a great scope in world wide. A layer of material applied to the surface of soil is named as mulch, which is used for conserving soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appearance of the area. At the initial stage of growing season, they serve mainly to warm the soil in This study investigated the effects of mulching materials on yield and growth performance of Okra crop under drip irrigation. The treatments of the study comprised of two mulches (black polyethylene and coconut coir), control (without mulch) and under shade conditions. Initially, the plant height was more in under shade (25.5 cm) and least in control condition (16 cm). Difference in plant height was negligible in coir and plastic mulch. In flowering stage, the plant height was high in plastic mulch (54 cm) followed by coir, control and under shade (44 cm). During harvesting stage, maximum height was observed in plastic mulching (111 cm) and least was observed in under shade (79 cm) due to the fact that it provides all the required nutrients for germination but doesn’t support it for entire growth. The difference in number of leaves was also followed the same trend like plant height in different treatments. The soil temperature differences were negligible when compared. However, in the initial and flowering stages temperature was high in plastic mulching (30 ̊C) and least in under shade (26 ̊C). During the harvesting stage high temperatures were recorded in control and least in under shade. The soil moisture in initial stage was more in under shade and in flowering stage it was more in control. In harvesting stages, plastic mulching recorded with high soil moisture It was observed that highest yield was obtained for okra crop under black plastic mulch when compared to others. In plastic mulch, all the parameters showed higher growth rate and increased yield. The study concluded that yield obtained in plastic mulching was 50% more when compared to others due to the fact that, it was less susceptible to infestation and weed growth. K e y w o r d s