Influence of Different Level of Drip Irrigation and Plastics Mulching on Yield, Quality and Economics of Broccoli Crop under Tarai Region of Uttarakhand

A field study was carried out at Vegetable Research Centre of G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand during rabi season of the year 2012–2013 to standardize the dripirrigation levels and plastics mulching on growth, maturity, yield, water-use efficiency and economics of broccoli. Seven irrigation levels based on pan evaporation (E_pan) from a USWB Class-A open pan i.e.100%, 80% and 60% of PE replenishment daily as well as alternate day along with surface irrigation was tested under two levels of mulching viz., without mulch (open surface)and UV stabilised 50micron thick black plastic mulch in a two factorial Randomized Block Design replicated thrice. All growthcharacters, as well as yield and yield attributes, were found significantly higher with 100% PE replenishmentdailyunder plasticmulch. Thehighest water useefficiency (WUE)of13.92qha⁻¹ cm⁻¹ was observed with 60% PE replenishment daily through drip under plastics mulch and lowest (6.02 q ha⁻¹ cm⁻¹) with traditional practices i.e., surface irrigation under without mulched (open surface) condition. Highest gross return (Rs.300795ha⁻¹), net return (Rs.214969ha⁻¹) and benefit-cost: ratio of1: 3.50 was obtained in100% PE replenishment daily with the combination of black plastic mulching.