Response of different mulching and irrigation levels through drip irrigation on the performance of dill (Anethum graveolens)

Abstract

Rajasthan mostly, its western part is covered with desert and have high temperature, high wind velocity and water scarcity, due to these harsh condition dill is an important crops for farmers of these areas, because of this crop is very hardy and have no attack of insect and pest and farmers get more benefits in these areas after its cultivation it is an medicinal as well as spice crop have selling price and low cost of cultivation. In this regard, field experiment was carried out in two consecutive Rabi seasons of 2017–18 and 2018–19 at Research farm, Agricultural Research Station, S.K.Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner to study the growth and yield of dill as influenced by different mulching and irrigation levels under drip irrigation system. The experiment was laid out in split plot design and was replicated four times. The treatments consisted of three irrigation levels viz., ETc 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 and three mulching treatments viz., straw mulch and polythene mulch and a control. Results of experiment revealed that irrigation at ETc 0.8 gave significantly higher growth (102.37 cm plant height and 3.83 branches per plant) and yield (1211 kg/ha) of crop over ETc 0.6(973 kg/ha), but at par with ETc 1.0 (1267 kg/ha). Among mulches polythene mulch was better respect to plant growth (108.80 cm plant height and 4.03 branches per plant) and seed yield (1276 kg/ha) which was higher than straw mulch (1171 kg/ha) and control (1004 kg/ha).