Influence of different mulches and irrigation levels on water use efficiency, weed biomass and productivity of drip irrigated tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.)

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted at the research farm of AICRP on Irrigation Water Management, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani to study the influence of different mulches and irrigation levels on water use efficiency, weed biomass and productivity of drip irrigated tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) during rabi season of 2016-17 and 2017-18. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design replicated thrice with twelve treatments combination comprising of three irrigation regimes viz. irrigation level at 0.6 PE (I1), irrigation level at 0.8 PE (I2) and irrigation level at 1.0 PE (I3) in main plot and four polythene mulch treatments viz. black polythene mulch (M1), silver black polythene mulch (M2), transparent polythene mulch (M3) and control (M4) in sub plot. The results revealed that the application of drip irrigation at 0.6 PE and silver black polythene mulch recorded higher water use efficiency due to lower consumption of irrigation water. Use of silver black polythene mulch or black polythene mulch with drip irrigation at 0.6 PE inhibited weed growth throughout growing period of tomato. The treatment combination of drip irrigation level at 0.8 PE with silver black polythene mulch (I2M2) recorded higher yield attributes along with higher fruit yield of tomato over rest of the treatment combination, however it was comparable with treatment combination of irrigation level at 0.8 PE with black polythene mulch (I2M1) and irrigation level at 0.6 PE with silver black polythene mulch (I1M2).