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Effect of Different Mulches on Soil Nutrient Status and Performance of Onion

Dr. Azad-ud-Doula Prodhan
Professor
Dept Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

M. Monjurul Alam Mondal, PhD
Principal Scientific Officer
Crop Physiology Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, BAU Campus, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different mulches on soil nutrient contents, soil moisture and temperature conservation, morpho-physiological characters and yield of onion cv. Taherpuri. The experiment comprised of six treatments viz., i) Control (no mulch), ii) Black polythene, iii) White polythene, iv) Rice straw, v) Water hyacinth and vi) Saw dust. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. Results revealed that application of different mulches increased soil moisture, soil nutrient availability, soil temperature, plant height, leaf number, leaf length, absolute growth rate (AGR), relative growth rate (RGR) and yield contributing characters over control. Among the mulches, black polythene mulch showed superiority in relation to plant height, number of leaves plant^-1, leaf length, TDM plant^-1, AGR, RGR, yield contributing characters like bulb diameter and single bulb weight compared to other mulches resulting the highest bulb yield. Onion bulb yield increment for mulching was in order of black polythene >water hyacinth> white polythene > rice straw > saw dust > non-mulch. So, black polythene mulch may be used for cultivation of onion in winter of Mymensingh.

Keywords: Onion, Mulch, Growth, Yield

Location: Research farm, Bangladesh Agric. Univ., Mymensingh

Start Date: 13-12-2008

End Date: 10-04-2009

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Onion

Objectives:

To study the effect of different mulches on growth, yield attributes and yield in onion; To evaluate the changes in soil moisture and temperature and soil nutrients status due to use of different mulches; and To find out effective mulching materials for better onion production under rainfed condition.

Methodology:

The experiment was conducted at the Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from December 2008 to April 2009, to investigate the effect of different mulches on soil temperature, soil moisture, soil nutrient availability, morphological characters, growth, yield attributes and yield of onion cv. Taherpuri. The experiment was comprised of six treatments viz., i) Control (no mulch), ii) Black polythene, iii) White polythene, iv) Rice straw, v) Water hyacinth and vi) Saw dust. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design where each treatment replicated thrice. The size of the unit plot was 2.0 m x 2 m. Plant to plant (10 cm) and row to row (20 cm) distance were maintained. The doses of manure and fertilizers were: cowdung 10,000, urea 260, TSP 200, MP 150 and gypsum 80 kg ha^-1. To study ontogenetic growth characteristics, a total of five harvests were made. Data were collected on some yield attributes and yield. The first crop sampling was done at 40 days after transplanting (DAT) and continued at an interval of 10 days up to 80 DAT. From each plot, five plants were selected from one side of the plot and uprooted for obtaining data of selected parameters. The plants were separated into leaves, pseudo-stems and roots and their corresponding dry weights were recorded after oven dry at 80^oC for 48 hours. The growth analysis was carried out following the formulae of Hunt (1978). Before harvesting the plots, 10 plants were randomly selected from each plot for collecting data on yield contributing characters. Data on plant characters and the collected data were analyzed statistically.

Source of Information: Thesis, Dept Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1. Government

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Mulching has tremendous effects on the yield attributes and yield of onion. Mulching induced significant enhancement on moisture contents and temperature as well as major nutrient status in soil. Among the mulches, black polythene mulch performed best for getting maximum bulb yield in onion

Knowledge Management: Thesis