Microclimate variations in relation to different types of polyethylene-film mulch on growth and yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea)

Abstract

A field investigation was conducted at Vridhachalam in Tamil Nadu during post- rainy seasons of 2001 -02 and 2002-03 to study the microclimatic variation in relation to different types of polyethylene-film mulch and its effect on the growth and yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Results revealed that, irrespective of the colour, plastic- film mulch significantly increased the soil temperature (1 .O-1 .gC) at different phenophases of crop growth from sowing to harvest. The soil temperature was higher under black-film mulch, followed by transparent - and white- polyethylene film mulches among the different mulches evaluated. The soil temperature under ridges-and-furrows land configuration was 0.3OC lesser than flat-bed and broad-bed furrow methods. Growing degree-days (GDD) and helio-thermal unit (HTU) did not show much variation between the different types of polyethylene films up to 80 days after sowing (DAS). However, heat unit efficiency (HUE) differed significantly among different types of plastic mulches but there was no such significant difference between the for soil temperature, GDD, HTU and. HUE. The dry-matter production and yield attributes were significantly higher under black polyethylene-film mulch which gave the highest pod yield of 2.87 Uha compared with 2.21 tlha by the non-mulched control. Hence black polyethylene film mulch in groundnut with adoption of flat-bed system of land configuration could be an important agricultural practice to augment groundnut productivity besides improving microclimatic conditions.