IMPACT OF PLASTIC MULCHING WITH FURROW IRRIGATION ON TOMATO CROP AT FARMERS FIELD IN UNNAO DISTRICT

R.C. MAURYA¹*, A.K. SINGH², SUNIL SINGH³, ARCHANA SINGH⁴, RATNA SAHAY⁵, D.K. TIWARI⁶, VIKASH CHANDRA^7
1Scientist, ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhaura, Unnao, 229881, Uttar Pradesh
²Senior Scientist and Head, ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhaura, Unnao, 229881, Uttar Pradesh
³Scientist, ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhaura, Unnao, 229881, Uttar Pradesh
⁴Scientist, ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhaura, Unnao, 229881, Uttar Pradesh
⁵Scientist, ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhaura, Unnao, 229881, Uttar Pradesh
⁶Scientist, ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhaura, Unnao, 229881, Uttar Pradesh
⁷Scientist, ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhaura, Unnao, 229881, Uttar Pradesh
* Corresponding Author : rctechite@gmail.com

Received : 20-03-2018     Accepted : 23-03-2018     Published : 30-03-2018
Volume : 10     Issue : 6       Pages : 5509 - 5512
Int J Agr Sci 10.6 (2018):5509-5512

Keywords : Furrow Irrigation, Plastic Mulching, Resource Conservation, Water Use Efficiency and Yield
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Author thankful to ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Unnao, 229881, Uttar Pradesh for providing necessary research facilities for conducting front line demonstration (FLD). Authors sincerely acknowledged ICAR-ATARI, Zone-III Kanpur (UP) for providing financial supports
Author Contribution : All author equally contributed

Declining ground water resources have become a major problem to the farmers in Uttar Pradesh, India. Mismanagement of groundwater use for irrigation without adopting any water resource conservation techniques may cause a serious problem to the agriculture in the state. The present study was carried out at the farmer’s field to utilize the resource conservation techniques to check the upcoming threat of groundwater scarcity. Resource conservation practice of Plastic Mulch (PM) was used to conserve the soil moisture and other resource under low cost Furrow Irrigation System (FIS) on tomato crop. Two farmers from each of four villages were selected for the experiment. Three treatments were made at each farmer’s field liz., farmers practice with flood irrigation as a control (T1), raised bed with FIS (T2), raised bed with PM and FIS (T3). Area under each trail was 35x30 m2 and bed width of raised bed was 0.9 m and furrow to furrow distance and length was 1.15 m and 30 m, respectively. The parameters included Depth of water irrigated, Yield, Water Use Efficiency (WUE) and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) in the study and statistically analyzed. Results revealed that total irrigation water saving, yield, WUE and BCR values were significantly high (P<0.05) in T3followed by T2and T1. Plastic mulching (T3) effected 27.44 and 59.52 per cent of water saving in T2 and T1, respectively and corresponding increase in yield was 26.27 and 47.59 per cent. Plastic mulching with furrow irrigation than pressurized irrigation may prove to be cost-effective measure for moisture conservation in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, which can effectively control the declining water table and farmers may get higher profit from crop production.

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