Department of Horticulture, B. C. Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya, Kalyani
In a soil management experiment on lemon (var. Gandharaj) conducted at Mohanpur in West Bengal, significantly higher soil moisture content and root growth were obtained under sod mulch and clean cultivation-cum-mulch. Elongation of shoot was significantly greater under clean cultivation-cum-mulch than under sod, clean cultivation and sod mulch. Clean cultivation and sod mulch also produced significantly longer shoots than sod. Significantly larger number of leaves per shoot was produced by clean cultivation-cum-mulch, clean cultivation and sod mulch than by sod.
Average number of flowers per shoot was highest under clean cultivation-cum-mulch followed by sod mulch and clean cultivation. Average number of fruits per shoot was highest under clean cultivation-cum-mulch followed by clean cultivation and sod mulch. Very poor flowering and fruiting were recorded under sod.
Thus, among four different systems of soil management tested, clean cultivation-cum-mulch had proved best for growth, flowering and fruit set and hence this system may be recommended for orchard soil management in lemon fruit trees.
