Performance of off-season Okra under Protected Structures in Semi-Arid Region

Abstract

Okra is a staple vegetable in Indian cuisine which is extensively cultivated year-round due to its rich composition of essential minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins and dietary fiber. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the impact of mulching and protective structures on okra cultivation during the winter period (off-season). Consequently, okra seeds were planted in three distinct environments: a Net-cum-poly house equipped with a ridge vent, Net-cum-poly house lacking a ridge vent and an open field. These environments were combined with three different mulch conditions: silver-black plastic mulch, black plastic mulch, and no-mulch. The experiment employed a two-factor large-plot design with four replications. The findings of this study revealed the substantial influence of mulching and protective structures on off-season okra cultivation. Key agronomic parameters, including stem diameter (17.20 mm), plant height (164 cm), internode length (18 cm), the number of fruits per plant (35), fruit weight per plant (367.31gm) and overall fruit yield (19755 kg/ha) exhibited statistically significant improvements in the combination of a Net-cum-poly house without a ridge vent and silver-black plastic mulch. In terms of water management, irrigation volumes delivered under mulched and non-mulched conditions were 387 mm and 446 mm respectively for the open field, while the corresponding figures for the protected environment were 319 mm and 366 mm. The highest water use efficiency was observed 61.97 kg/ha-mm in treatment combination with silver black plastic mulch and Net-cum-poly house without ridge vent. Notably, mulching resulted in a 13.34% reduction in water consumption compared to the non-mulched open field. In the protected environment, water savings reached 28.43% under mulch and 17.76% under no-mulch conditions relative to the non-mulched open field.