Effect of plastic low tunnel and mulch type on soil temperature, growth, earliness and yield of brinjal under net-house and open field in plains of North-Western India

Abstract

A two-year study was conducted to compare the performance of brinjal hybrid BH-2 using paddy straw mulch @ 6 t ha-1, clear plastic mulch (25 μm), black plastic mulch (25 μm), plastic low tunnel and control (bare soil) under net-house and open field at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India. The maximum increase in morning and afternoon soil temperature over bare soil was observed using black plastic mulch followed by clear plastic mulch in both net-house and open field whereas paddy straw mulch reduced the soil temperature over bare soil in open field. Under net house, black and clear plastic mulch were better than other treatments and recorded maximum plant height (50.8 cm and 43.7 cm), number of leaves/plant (64.8 and 64.3), early yield (7.1 and 6.6 t ha-1), number of fruits/plant (16.1 and 14.4) and total yield (57.4 and 55.7 t ha-1), respectively. In open field, plastic low tunnel was the best treatment and recorded maximum plant height (40.4 cm), number of leaves/plant (51.2), early yield (5.9 t ha-1), number of fruits/ plant (14.6) and total yield (58.5 t ha-1). The study offers the scope of enhancing brinjal production in spring and early summer which may be highly profitable for farmers.