Vol. 8, Issue 3 (2019)

Author(s):
Anwesha Sarkar, Sawan Pradhan, PK Tarafdar and SK De

Abstract:
Use of jute caddies as a mulching material is probably the new concept for cultivation of vegetable crops. A jute caddie is an important lingo-cellulosic waste, produced in the factories as the unspinnable short fibers during jute processing. A field experiment was conducted at the University farm of Regional Research Station, New Alluvial zone of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia, West Bengal to investigate the effect of various doses of jute caddies on capsicum yield and change of soil properties. Four treatment combinations viz. T_1: farmer's practice (control), T₂: 5 t/ha jute caddies, T₃: 10 t/ ha jute caddies and T₄: 15 t/ha jute caddies were mixed before transplanting of capsicum seedlings along with the levels of N-P-K at 40-60-30 kg/ ha and in RBD design with four replications. Initials and final soil samples were analysed for relevant physical and chemical properties by following standard methods. The yields of crop were found 14.31, 20.4, 27.14 and 30.96 t/ha, in respectively T₁, T₂, T₃ andT₄. The yield of crop was increased 16.65 t/ha (116.35%) under 15 t/ha treatment over farmers practices (control). But the difference in percentage increase in yield between 5 t/ha and 10 t/ha is greater than the percentage difference between 10 t/ha and 15 t/ha. That is, the percentage increase in yield shows a declining trend with the increase in jute caddies. They also improved moisture use efficiency, in general, by 90.5% over control. Decreasing bulk density with simultaneous increasing of porosity under jute caddies treatments also improved the moisture retention capacity in soil. Better aggregation and their stabilization as well as capsicum yield occurred with applied T₃ (10 t/ha jute caddies) treatments.