Drip Fertigated Planting Systems with Polythene Mulching on Cauliflower–Eggplant Cropping Systems in Hot and Subhumid Climate: Impact on Soil Health and Crop Yield

Abstract

ABSTRACT The soil–plant interaction may help in maximizing crop productivity with simultaneous improvement in the soil quality. Field experiments were conducted during 2014 to 2016 to evaluate the planting systems with polythene mulching on soil hydrothermal conditions, nutrient availability, and crop productivity under cauliflower–eggplant cropping systems involving six treatments such as T1: flat-bed without polythene mulch; T2: flat-bed with polythene mulch; T3: broad-bed without polythene mulch; T4: broad-bed with polythene mulch; T5: ridge-furrow without polythene mulch; T6: ridge-furrow with polythene mulch. The daily mean surface soil temperature in mulched plots was 1.3°C higher than unmulched during the early growing season. The microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), soil organic carbon (SOC), dehydrogenase activity (DHA), and acid phosphatase activity of soil were higher in the mulched treatments. The mulched ridge-furrow treatment (T6) recorded the highest available N, P, and K content of 286.4, 37.2, and 315.2 kg ha−1 in eggplant, accounting for 38.2, 52.4, and 26.0% increase over the initial status, while in cauliflower, it was 275.1, 36.4, and 300.4 kg ha−1, accounting for 32.7, 49.2, and 20% increase, respectively. The highest N, P, and K uptake by cauliflower was 172.4, 17.1, and 117.7 kg ha−1, while in eggplant, it was 88.3, 22.4, and 91.4 kg ha−1, respectively, in T6 treatment. The curd yield of cauliflower and fruit yield of eggplant was significantly highest of 40.4 and 29.8 t ha−1, respectively, in T6 treatment.