Rice straw mulch mats – biodegradable alternative to herbicides in papaya

Rice occupies a pivotal place in Indian agriculture. Its production leads to generation of excessive rice straw. Since straw is not utilized much, it is subjected to burning in fields causing serious environmental pollution, loss of nutrients and adverse effects on beneficial soil micro-organisms. This study conducted in Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana reports the effectiveness of rice straw mulching material on weed control, yield enhancement and quality improvement in Papaya (Var. Red lady 786). Woven mulch mats of rice straw resulted in significant reduction in weed density of broad-leaved weeds as well as grasses as compared to control besides improving fruit height (26.3%), fruit yield (31.7%), fruit colour, TSS and carotenoids in papaya. Furthermore, the biodegradable woven mulch has the capability to control weeds for 315 days i.e. the entire vegetative as well as fruiting period in papaya.