Effect of mulch materials on potato production and soil properties in high hill of Parbat, Gandaki Province, Nepal

Abstract

An experiment for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018) was conducted to evaluate the use of mulching materials in increasing productivity and profitability of potato production. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five different mulching materials including control replicated for four times namely, banmara (Agertina adenophora) weed (T1), black polythene sheet (T2), white polythene sheet (T3), commercially used mulch paper having black color outside and silver color inside (T4) and farmers practice (T5) as a control with no mulch. The research result revealed that all the mulching materials significantly (p value ≤ 0.05) increased tuber yield and yield attributing characters of potato as compared with control (no mulch). The highest tuber yield was obtained from mulching with commercial mulch paper followed by mulching with black polythene sheet in both years. Mulching with banmara also produced significantly (p value ≤ 0.01) higher tuber yield than no mulch plot in the year 2017 and 2018. Mulching practices significantly (p value ≤ 0.05) improved the soil available phosphorus. The incremental benefit cost ratio was highest (2.97) in the mulched with banmara followed by commercial mulch paper (2.12). The banmara mulch was also profitable with comparatively higher tuber yield.

Growth and Yield Traits of Potato Genotypes Grown under Different Cultivation Practices in Dailekh, Nepal

“…In a study by Bhatta et al (2020), they have reported the lower soil temperature in white and silver plastic mulch than black plastic mulch in potato. Timilsina et al (2022) have reported the significant differences in yield attributing traits in plastic mulching treatment. In this study, we measured the highest plant height in straw mulch treatment.…”

Biochar for Improving crop Production in Nepal

“…Moreover, Upadhyaya et al (2020), found significantly higher yield of potato with the application of biochar. The application of biochar significantly increased the biomass, root, and shoot yields of radish (Timilsina et al, 2017).…”

“…The effect of biochar on available P may vary, depending on the rate of biochar, soil type and soil acidic conditions. Timilsina et al (2017) reported significantly higher soil pH, including other soil properties such as soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium with the addition of biochar. Furthermore, Jaishi, 2020 found that application of UCB improved soil chemical properties.…”

“…The bulk density of the soil decreased with the application of 20 ton per hectare of biochar (Timilsina et al, 2017). The bulk density and porosity of soil was significantly affected by application of UCB (Jaishi, 2020).…”

Effect of applying Banana Waste Biochar on soil properties and growth of cultivated plants in sandy soil

“…These include cation or anion exchange reactions and adsorption of NH3 or organic N on biochar (Clough et al, 2013). The addition of biochar to soil leads to increase of the soil pH, soil organic matter, soil bulk density, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium contents of soil (Syuhada et al, 2016;Timilsina et al, 2017;Mierzwa-Hersztek et al, 2019). Biochar has the potential to improve physical as well as chemical soil properties, due to biochar properties related to surface area and porosity, carbon content, nutrient content and cation exchange capacity (CEC) (Carvalho, 2015).…”