Elucidating beneficial effects of mulches on growth, yield and quality attributes of summer squash (Cucurbia pepo L.) under cold temperate conditions

A study has been conducted to elucidate the effect of different colours of mulches on growth, yield and quality of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L). The following treatments under study were (T₁ :no mulch, T₂ :Black mulch, T₃ : Yellow mulch, T₄: Blue mulch, T₅: White mulch, T₆: Forest litter in Gurez valley during Kharief 2021 and Kharief 2022. Pooled data of two years confirmed that T₂ depicted significantly maximum values for plant height (76.51 cm), no. of branches per plant (25.04), plant spread (106.06 cms), fruit length (43.33 cms), fruit diameter (8.55 cms), no. of fruits per plant (11.55), fruit yield per plant (6.75 kg), average fruit weight (0.78 gms) and fruit yield per hectare (20.52 t ha^-1) followed by T₃ (Yellow mulch). Further it was also interpreted that the quality parameters Viz; T.S.S (3.81 Brix⁰), Vitamin C content (19.29 mg/100 gms) and Protein content (1.02 %) was also recorded maximum in most of parameters with treatment T₂ (Black Mulch) followed by treatment T₃ (Yellow mulch). Economics of production of summer squash revealed that treatment T₂ (Black Mulch) recorded maximum gross returns (Rs. 410,400.00), net returns ( Rs. 297,040.00) with highest benefit cost ration (3.62 ) as compared with all other treatments including control treatment T1 (no mulch ) under study.