Effect of plastic mulches on soil temperature and tomato yield inside and outside the polyhouse

The present investigation was carried out to study the performance of Tomato (cv: All rounder) under both polyhouse and open condition with different plastic mulches. This experiment was conducted at Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi during the period from December 2012 to May 2013. The highest soil temperature was recorded under transparent mulch followed by silver black, black and no mulch plot during 52 to 10^th standard meteorological week (December to mid March). It was found to be higher by about 1 to 10°C as compared to no mulch plot inside and outside the polyhouse. After 10^th week, soil temperature was found 2 to 4°C higher under no mulch plot as compared to transparent mulch under polyhouse. But there was no definite pattern observed under mulched or no mulched conditions either at in open field conditions. Highest yield (73.9tha⁻¹) was obtained under the black mulch within the polyhouse, the corresponding value being 37.3 tha⁻¹ for black mulch outside the polyhouse.