International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 135-141 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 139 2.2 Yield parameters 2.2.1 Tuber number The details of ANOVA revealed a significant difference in tuber count attributed to mulching at a 5% level of significance (Table 5). The highest tuber number was recorded in black plastic mulching (83.17), which is statistically similar to silver plastic (81.17) and organic mulching (71.67), while the lowest tuber count was observed in the control treatment (54.67). Tuber count was higher in mulched conditions compared to un-mulched conditions, as mulching aids in temperature regulation and maintains favorable environmental conditions, which aligns with the findings of (El-Beltagi et al., 2022). Table 5 Effect of varieties and mulching methods on yield parameters of potato Treatment Tuber number Weight (kg/m2) Grading (<50gm) (50-100 gm) (>100gm) Variety Khumal Seto 75.75a 3.74a 44.67b 16.67a 8.25a Cardinal 65.58a 1.66b 68.83a 6.25b 0.67b LSD(0.05) 8.1 0.11 9.34 3.54 1.33 SEM(±) 2.67 0.66 3.07 1.17 0.44 F probability NS <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 CV% 12.73 14.28 18.79 35.28 34.16 Mulching method Black plastic mulch 83.17a 3.63a - 15a 6.83a Silver plastic mulch 81.17a 3.09b - 14ab 5ab Organic mulch 71.67a 2.47c - 9.33bc 4.33b Control 54.67b 1.59d - 7.50c 1.67c LSD(0.05) 11.46 0.48 - 5.00 1.89 SEM(±) 3.78 0.16 - 1.65 0.62 F probability <0.001 <0.001 - <0.05 <0.001 CV% 12.73 14.28 - 35.28 34.16 Grandmean 72.67 2.7 56.75 11.46 4.45 Note: ± Means of 3 replications. Means in column with same superscript is not significantly different by DMRT at 0.05 level, LSD: Least Significant Difference, CV: Coefficient of variation, SEM (±): Standard error of mean 2.2.2 Tuber weight Tuber weight is one of the yield attributing parameters with a significant difference observed in tuber weight as shown in (Table 5) at a 5% level of significance based on both the varietal effect and mulching practices, with Khumal Seto exhibiting higher weight (3.74 kg/m2) and Cardinal showing lower weight (1.66 kg/m2). Similarly, black plastic mulch resulted in the highest tuber weight (3.63 kg/m2), followed by Silver plastic (3.09 kg/m2) and organic mulching (2.47 kg/m2), whereas the control treatment exhibited the lowest weight (1.59 kg/m2). In the case of interaction between the first and second factors, there was a significant difference in tuber weight (kg/m2) (Table 4). The variety Khumal Seto in black plastic mulching had the highest tuber weight (5.10 kg/m2) followed by the Khumal Seto variety in Silver mulch (4.3 kg/m2), organic mulch (3.35 kg/m2) and control (2.19 kg/m2). The tuber weight in control was found statistically similar to the cardinal variety in black (2.16 kg/m2) and silver plastic mulching (1.88 kg/m2). The lowest tuber weight was observed for cardinal variety in the control treatment (0.98 kg/m2). Manganelli (2017) explained the higher yield to an expanded photosynthetic area facilitated by colored plastic mulch, influencing the allocation of photosynthates to harvestable organs. The findings also correlate with Kadar et al. (2017), who explained that the increased yield resulted from an effective moisture extraction ratio in deeper soil layers under mulching, enhancing total available soil moisture. Moreover, the perforations in the plastic aided root zone aeration and evaporation of excess water, promoting tuber growth.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==