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EFFECT OF DIFFERENT MULCH MATERIALS ON POTATO PRODUCTION AND SOIL PROPERTIES IN EAST RUKUM, LUMBINI PROVINCE, NEPAL

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ABSTRACT

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT MULCH MATERIALS ON POTATO PRODUCTION AND SOIL PROPERTIES IN EAST RUKUM, LUMBINI PROVINCE, NEPAL

Journal: Plant Physiology and Soil Chemistry

Swastika Kafle, Rakshya Devkota, Sanket Kattel, Bimal Dhakal, Saurata Subedi, Deepika Kunwar

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

DOI: 10.26480/ppsc.02.2025.79.83

Mulching, which covers the soil surface, preserves moisture, suppresses weeds, and improves soil health, has a major role in crop yield and quality. A field experiment conducted from March to July 2024 investigated the response of potatoes to various mulching methods in Dhakalbara, Sisne Rural Municipality, aiming to identify the most suitable mulching materials for potato cultivation. The (Local) potato variety was used, and the performance was observed. The experiment utilized a single factorial RCBD with 6 treatments: T1 (Black Plastic), T2 (Sawdust), T3 (Mustard Straw), T4 (Control), T5 (Khar), and T6 (Asuro/Justicia adhatoda), with four replications. Germination was highest in Khar. Plant height was greatest in Khar at 45 DAS and in Asuro at 60 and 75 DAS, whereas leaf numbers were highest in Asuro at 45, 60, and 75 DAS. Asuro significantly boosted potato production and quality. Results showed the highest yield in Asuro, followed by Khar. Mulching practices improved soil available phosphorus, potassium, moisture, organic matter, and nitrogen, but not pH levels. Moisture content, particularly with Khar (39%), significantly enhanced soil capacity for crop growth. Organic matter content was highest in Khar, indicating its pronounced effect. Locally available Khar could be the best to improve soil properties for potato cultivation. For East Rukum, the best mulching materials for potato production and soil properties are Asuro, followed by Khar.
Pages 79-83
Year 2025
Issue 2
Volume 5