Mulch Effect on Growth and Yield of Vine Vegetables

An experiment was undertaken to identify the suitable mulch paper for different high value vegetables during the winter season of November 2019 to March 2020 at the research farm of Olericulture Division, Horticulture Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh. The experiment was randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Three vegetables varieties viz., netted melon, watermelon, cucumber and 3 mulch treatments viz., T1=Silver over black mulch; T2= Black mulch; T3= No mulch were included in this study. Different vegetables responded differently with the changes of mulches irrespective of different characters. Considering relationship between the soil moisture content and fruit number it was clear that fruit number, average fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter was strongly related with soil moisture content. The effect of different plastic mulches on fruit weight per plant and yield (t/ha) were significant. Mulching produced higher fruit yield per plant and fruit yield per hectare than for the control, indicating that the mulch had positive effect in generating increased fruit yield. Silver over black plastic mulch produced the highest fruit yield viz., 24.22 t/ha (cucumber), 26.37 t/ha (netted melon), 43.59 t/ha (watermelon) followed by black and no mulches. Obviously, control plot produced the lowest fruit yield.