Effect of Various Mulching Materials on Crop Production and Soil Health in Acid Lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle)

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of mulching on acid lime during 2014–2015 in Randomized Block Design with 9 treatments and 3 replications. The highest increase on plant height (6.63%), canopy spread in E-W (9.90%) and N-S (7.60%) direction was recorded by polythene mulch with black side facing upward (T₈). The treatment also had a significant influence on yield and yield attributing parameters where T₈ recorded the highest number of fruits per plant (163.0), fruit weight (50.22 g) and fruit yield per plant (7.81 kg) while dry grasses mulch (T₂) recorded highest number of fruits per branch (7.50) and fruit retention (44.71%). With respect to quality parameters of fruit, T₈ recorded highest total sugar (0.40%) and reducing sugar (0.61%) while significant increase on titratable acidity (6.93%) and ascorbic acid content (33.46 mg/100g) was observed in T₂. Among soil parameters, maximum moisture content (36.06%) was observed in T₈ while maximum organic carbon (3.11%), available nitrogen (428.47 kg/ha), phosphorus (45.17 kg/ha) and potassium (575.06 kg/ha) content were recorded by saw dust mulch (T₇). The treatment recorded highest microbial population of bacteria (83.45 × 10⁵) in paddy straw mulch (T₄) and fungi (119.34 × 10⁵) in rice husk mulch (T₅). The study revealed that T₈ was the most effective with respect to plant growth, fruit yield and quality while T₄ also proves to be the best ideal treatment for improving soil health in acid lime.