Influence of Polyethylene Mulching on Soil Moisture, Nutrient Uptake and Seed Cotton Yield

The study was conducted on medium deep black soils at during kharif season of 2005–06 under rainfed conditions to study the effect of polyethylene mulching (75,100 and 125 micron thickness) and no-mulch (main plots) on the status of soil moisture, microbial population in soil and uptake of nutrients by different cotton genotypes (RCH 20 Bt, DHB 290, DHH 11, Sahana, Jayadhar and DLsa 17) as sub plots. Results revealed that mulching in cotton with poly ethylene film of varying thickness has improved the seed cotton yield to the extent of 11 to 27 per cent as compared to no-mulch crop. Among the genotypes tested, RCH-20 Bt was far superior than other hirsutum/desi cotton varieties/hybrids and it has given 35 to 154 per cent more yield than other genotypes. Also, mulching in cotton with PE film has retained more moisture in top as well as in deeper soil layers throughout crop growth than no-mulch treatment Desi cottons have retained slightly more moisture than others during cropping period. Uptake of nutrients like N,P and K by the crop was better due to poly ethylene mulching and it was still higher when mulched with thicker PE film.