Vol. 11, Issue 3 (2022)

Author(s):
Chayanika Das, Dr. Bhakta Prasad Gautham, Priyanka Boruah and Dr. Hemendra Choudhury

Abstract:
An invesigation entitled “Studies on effect of different mulches on growth and yield of chilli (Capsicum annum L.)” was carried out during 2018 to 2020. The field experiment was conducted at the ICR Farm, Department of Horticulture, B N College of Agriculture, AAU, Biswanath Chariali, Assam to evaluate the performance of different mulching materials on growth and yield of chilli. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications incorporating six treatments viz., mulching with black polyethene (T₁), mulching with white polyethene (T₂), mulching with transparent polyethene (T₃), mulching with dry banana leaves (T₄), mulching with paddy straw (T₅) and control, without mulching (T₆). The morphological, phenological and yield attributing parameters were significantly influenced by mulching treatments. Among the treatments, T₁ produced significantly highest plant height (18.91 cm, 37.13 cm, 68.04 cm and 76.64 cm at 30, 60, 90 and 120 DAP respectively), total number of branches per plant (8.59, 17.92, 49.26 and 64.36 at 30, 60, 90 and 120 DAP respectively), primary branches per plant (8.08, 12.00, 15.73 and 19.53 at 30, 60, 90 and 120 DAP respectively) and plant spread of 67.91 cm at the time of first harvest. The same were lowest in T₃. Moreover, T₁ took shortest 44.32 days to first flower appearance, 118.17 days to first harvest and longest 182.06 days to last harvest. The T₁ treatment also maintained the highest fruit yield (20.18 t/ha), number of fruits per plant (93.85), length of fruit (4.76 cm), fruit girth (2.75 cm), fruit fresh weight (1.30 g), fruit dry weight (0.50 g) and fruit volume (2.21 cc) which was followed by T₂ and T₄.