Evaluation of the Effect Mulching Practice Under Furrow Irrigation on Growth, Yield and Water Productivity of Head Cabbage at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center

Abstract

The experiment was under taken among the amount of water and mulching practice at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center of experimental site for head cabbage production. With the objective of to investigate and evaluate the effect of furrow irrigation level and mulching on water productivity, yield and yield component of head cabbage. A field experiment was designed as a two factor factorial experiment (2*4) in RCBD, replicated three times. The two factors were irrigation water level and mulching material. Irrigation was applied to furrows using Parshal flume from furrows head ditch with similar inflow rate, but the amount of application of water varies. Results obtained revealed that Application of wheat straw mulch and plastic mulch significantly increased the growth and yield of cabbage. Straw mulch produced total yield of 9.68 ton/ha which was not significantly different with that obtained under White straw mulch (9.69ton/ha). Total yield harvested from black plastic mulch were 9.33ton/ha, which showed insignificant difference between the three mulching material. High yield of 16.60ton/ha was recorded from full irrigation that is 100%ETc and when half of irrigation water applied the yield were 9.4ton/ha which showed significant difference between the two irrigation level. Water productivity of 4.3kg/m³ and 3.8kg/m³ were produced under 50%ETc and 100%ETc or full irrigation water respectively. It was found that 50%ETc irrigation level saved 50% of water as compared to full irrigation and can irrigate additional land with the amount of water saved.