Field experiments were conducted on clay loam soil at Department of Soil and Water Engineering, SVCAET and RS, FAE, IGKV, Raipur during winter season (November to February) in the year 2015–16 to evaluate the performance of different types of used plastic material as mulches in comparison with conventional Black Plastic Mulch (BPM) under different levels of drip irrigation on growth and yield attribute of rabi marigold. Actual Evapotranspiration for rabi marigold crop was estimated using modified Penman method. The effect of four irrigation levels viz., 60% ETc, 70% ETc, 80% ETc and 90% ETc with drip in under BPM and different types used plastic material as mulch viz., used reddish Rice Bag Mulch (RBM), used whitish Wheat Flour Bag Mulch (WFBM), used white Fertilizer Bag Mulch (FBM) were studied. The study indicated that 90% ETc irrigation requirement met through drip under BPM (90% ETc + BPM) gave the highest yield (15.12 t ha−1) while it was 13.56 t ha−1 for 90% ET c under RBM. The growth, yield attributes consumptive use of water and benefit cost ratio were found to be highest under the treatment: 90% ETc + BPM, but very much comparable with those for 90% ETc + RBM. The study concludes that mulching roll can be prepared from used rice bags, fertilizer bags, wheat flour bag etc. which are available with the farmers in plenty and can be reused as mulching material satisfactorily by small and marginal farmers.
Black plastic mulch, Drip irrigation, Evapotranspiration, Mulching, Rabi marigold, Used plastic material
