Raised Bed Planting Research Articles

Agrophysiological responses of bread wheat to raised-bed planting and irrigation level

ABSTRACT To investigate the response of wheat to drought stress under different plantation systems, two field experiments were carried out in 2021/22 and 2022/23 in Arsanjan. The main plot was three different plantation systems (flat planting, 60-cm raised beds, and 120-cm raised beds) and the subplots were irrigation levels at 100% (control), 80% (medium stress), and 60% (severe stress) of crop evapotranspiration. The results showed that the raised-bed planting increased grain yield by 22.1 and 25.9% compared to flat cultivation in the first and second years, respectively. This increase in the biological yield was about 17%, the number of ears was 7%, and the number of seeds per ear was 21%. Drought stress caused a significant decrease in grain yield (46.4%), number of ears (20.5%), seed number (30.3%), biological yield (45.9%), chlorophyll a (31.8%), chlorophyll b (28.1%) and relative water content (5.3%) and increased, proline content (24.3%), and ion leakage (147.3%). The decrease in yield due to drought stress was moderated in the raised-bed system and therefore cultivation on the raised-bed is suggested as a suitable planting pattern to improve the yield and water efficiency in wheat under conditions similar to the experimental area, especially under water shortage conditions.

Performance evaluation of raised bed planting of pigeonpea in vertisols of Narsinghpur district

Performance evaluation of raised bed planting of pigeonpea in vertisols of Narsinghpur district

A strategic approach to achieve healthy plant growth and decontaminated rhizome of Curcuma alismatifolia Gagenep. cultivation in modified substrate on raised-bed planting

Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep. is one of the most attractive tropical flowers exported from Thailand. However, distributing its rhizomes free of bacterial wilt is considered to be a critical quarantine issue. This study’s strategic approach focused on cultivating C. alismatifolia in modified substrate on raised-bed planting without contamination by the wilt Ralstonia solanacearum. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments (10 replications per treatment). Significant differences of the physical and chemical properties of appropriate substrates were observed to be correlated with mature green Azolla added in compost. This treatment promoted maximum growth and development, compared to the control. Moderate infection of R. solanacearum was detected in the rhizomes of plants grown with soil collected from the same location of a previous in-ground bedding crop (SSL) mixed in substrates. Healthy plants and decontaminated rhizomes were found in C. alismatifolia grown in modified substrates without SSL. Implementing the findings of this research has the potential to support sustainable production for C. alismatifolia.

Effect of Land Configuration and Planting Depth on Corm and Cormel Production of Gladiolus (Gladiolus spp.)

The present experiment was carried out at department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, College of Horticulture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh (Gujarat) during the years 2021-22 and 2022-23 with randomized block design (Factorial) having three replications. The treatment combinations consisting three land configuration methods (L1- Flat bed, L2- Raised bed with 2 rows and L3- Ridge and furrow) and two planting depth (D1- 3.5 cm and D2- 5.5 cm). The results indicated that maximum number of corms (1.58), number of cormels (26.98), diameter of corms (63.77 mm), diameter of cormels (3.16 mm), weight of corms (64.13 g) and weight of cormels (22.11 g) were recorded with raised bed with 2 rows (L2). The variation due to planting depth was also found significant for all the parameters and maximum number of corms (1.46), number of cormels (25.52), diameter of corms (56.43 mm), diameter of cormels (3.09 mm), weight of corms (56.02 g) and weight of cormels (21.78 g) were obtained with planting at 3.5 cm depth (D1). Raised bed planting had favourable effects on growth and flowering of gladiolus as compared to ridge and furrow and flat bed planting.

Raised Bed Planting Pattern Improves Root Growth and Nitrogen use Efficiency of Post-Rice Wheat

Raised Bed Planting Pattern Improves Root Growth and Nitrogen use Efficiency of Post-Rice Wheat

Precision water management in pulses for enhanced resource-use-efficiency

Although greater efforts have been made to realize higher yields with desired quality from a number of high-yielding varieties of pulses with matching agro-technologies and proven tolerance to biotic/abiotic stresses, yet there has been a shortfall (though minimized to a greater extent now) in expected goals in production/productivity in these field crops. Therefore, there is a need for renewed and innovative approach for sustainable cropping intensification with pulses. In this context, water–a critical input for sustained crop production – is becoming limiting both under rainfed and irrigated conditions depending on its availability, competing factors, allocation to priority crops, and season of the year. It deserves all of us to use this precious commodity more judiciously, sensibly and need-based in agriculture through modern technology, especially in presence of diverse constraints. One of the approach for effective on-farm management of water is its precision use. One or two life-saving/supplementary irrigation through water-saving technologies (drip or sprinkler irrigation) during the post-rainy/ fall months or even under dryland condition could sustain productivity of crop. Some of the innovative agro-technologies could reinforce this by way of technology up-scaling and/or providing a sound footing for better water delivery/use. These include precision land levelling, no-till systems, furrow-irrigated raised bed planting, and crop diversification and its residue management. Thus, adaptive strategies for grain legumes or pulses will be highly location specific and offers an alternative for a quantum jump in its production with sustainable resource management and resource use efficiency (RUE). To conclude, strategic water management in pulses could play a significant role in their sustainable intensification/diversification of already scarce resource base in time to come (in the context of Sustainable Development Goals).

Evaluating corn production under different plant spacings through integrated modeling approach and simulating its future response under climate change scenarios

The use of advanced resource conservation techniques is the need of time for higher crop production under the challenges of water scarcity and climate change. The present study was planned (1) to evaluate different plant spacing of corn, sown under raised bed planting (RBP) for higher productivity, (2) calibrate APSIM model for experimental treatments and (3) simulate future (2022–2100) crop response under different scenarios of climate change. The two-year research experiments were conducted on corn with four different plant spacings (S1:15 cm, S2:17.5 cm, S3:20 cm and S4:22.5 cm) under RBP. The crop response was evaluated in terms of leaf area index (LAI), plant height, flowering date, grains per cob, grain yield, biomass yield, harvest index (HI) and water productivity. The S1 treatment produced the highest productivity in terms of grain yield (7.16 Mg/hm2), biomass yield (16.57 Mg/hm2), HI (0.44) and water productivity (1.33 kg/m3). APSIM model was calibrated and its ability to simulate crop response during validation was confirmed from the values of RMSE, NRMSE, R2, CRM and NSE as 0.4, 0.21, 0.83, 0.04 and 0.68 for grain yield. The RMSE and NRMSE were 0.79 and 0.14 for biomass yield. The value of R2 ranged from 0.69 to 0.85, CRM from –0.03 to 0.005, NSE from 0.69 to 0.86 for biomass yield, plant height and LAI. During scenario simulations, the model run was performed against different plant spacing for optimization and results revealed that 10 cm plant spacing produced highest corn yield and growth parameters. Further simulations (2022–2100) were performed using climatic data, acquired from different general circulation model (GCMs) for two rcps (4.5 and 8.5) and results revealed the reduction in grain and biomass yields by 8–14 % and 10–28 %, respectively against different data sources (GCMs). Optimized plant spacing (10 cm) under RBP produced 35.5 % more grain yield and 29.3 % more biomass yield than that under control treatment (ridge-furrow system). Based on the research findings, it is recommended that conservation technique like RBP needs to be adopted in semi-arid regions to mitigate the impact of climate change in terms of future temperature rise for better corn production.

Climate-smart agriculture strategies for South Asia to address the challenges of climate change: Identification of climate-resilient agriculture practices for India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan

In South Asia, agriculture is pivotal for food and nutritional security and the livelihood of more than 50% of the population. Food production and nutritional security pressures intensify as urbanisation decreases the agricultural land area amid population growth. Climate change complicates this scenario by introducing elevated temperatures, extreme climatic events, surging sea levels, and increased soil salinity. Identifying climate-resilient innovative technologies for farmer adoption becomes imperative to counter these adversities. An integrated approach to climate-smart agriculture, encompassing capacity building through practical training on innovative mitigation strategies, is needed. This study unites experts from Australia, India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in an Asia-Pacific Network project, fostering mutual learning and farmer training in climate-smart practices. Insights from workshops conducted at Amity University in February 2020 and June 2022, combined with country-specific technological advances in the past 15 years gleaned from the literature, revealed key technologies to combat climate change (e.g., zero tillage, raised bed planting, direct-seeded rice, crop residue management, crop diversification, site-specific nutrient management, laser levelling, micro-irrigation, seed/fodder banks, and ICT-based weather advisories). Widespread implementation of these technologies and practices will empower farmers to navigate climate change challenges, fostering resilience and sustainability.

Effect of land configuration, irrigation regimes and nitrogen application on growth, yield and quality of Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis)

An experiment was conducted during summer season of 2016–17 at the Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, to study the effect of land configuration, irrigation regimes and nitrogen application on growth, yield and quality of Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis). The treatments consisted of 3 land configurations (flat-bed planting, ridge planting and raised-bed planting), 3 irrigation regimes 0.8 irrigation water: cumulative pan evaporation (IW: CPE), 1.0 IW: CPE and 1.2 IW: CPE ratio) and 3 nitrogen levels recommended dose of nitrogen [(RDN) 160 kg N/ha], 75% RDN (120 kg N/ha) and 125% RDN (200 kg N/ha)] in a splitplot design with 3 replications. Raised-bed planting recorded the maximum leaves/plant (188.8), plant fresh weight (1868 g/m2 ), leaf: stem ratio (1.84), herbage (1.80 t/ha) and oil yield (136.5 lit./ha) than the ridge and flat-bed planting. Irrigating the crop at an IW: CPE ratio of 1.2 resulted in the highest growth parameters, herb (1.71 t/ha) and oil yield (130.1 lit./ha) and quality parameters over other irrigation regimes. Significantly the maximum crop growth [leaves/plant (189.8), plant fresh weight (1784 g/m2), leaf: stem ratio (1.77)], herbage (1.71 t/ha) and oil yield (131.9 lit./ha); and quality parameters [carotenoid content (2.66 mg/g fresh weight), menthone content (6.23%), menthol content (72.0%) and oil content (0.77%)] were recorded with the application of 125% RDN over 75% RDN and it was at par with 100% RDN. This study indicated that planting on raised bed, irrigation at 1.2 IW: CPE ratio and the application of 125% RDN (200 kg N/ha) gave higher yield and quality of Japanese mint.

Revolutionizing Maize Farming with Potassium Silicate Foliar Spray and Water Management Techniques

By integrating various irrigation and agriculture management techniques, it is possible to considerably improve water productivity. In order to examine the impact of irrigation scheduling (1.0 and 1.2 pan evaporation coefficient), planting method (ridge and raised bed), and potassium silicate foliar application (0 ppm and 100 ppm) on maize (Zea mays L) growth, yield, and water-related factors, a two-season field experiment was conducted in a hot-dry climate region of southern Egypt during 2017 and 2018. The results showed that the seasonal irrigation requirement and consumptive use were higher at 1.2 than the 1.0 pan evaporation coefficient, irrespective of the planting methods. Raised bed planting method saved about 19% of applied water (two seasons average) compared to the ridge planting method. Plants treated with potassium silicates attained higher yields compared to the control, irrespective of the irrigation level and planting method. Moreover, irrigation at 1.2 pan evaporation resulted in the lowest daily ETc values, i.e., 3.15, 6.0, 6.7, and 2.8 mm for plant growth stages, i.e., ini, dev, mid and late. This resulted in the lowest Kc values (0.47, 0.91, 1.16, and 0.61) at different plant growth stages (ini, dev, mid and late). Based on the study findings, it is recommended to use a deficit irrigation of 0.15% based on accumulated pan evaporation values of 1.2, coupled with raised bed planting method and the application of 100 ppm potassium silicates, for optimal maize water productivity and net return.

Subsurface drainage and raised-bed planting reduce excess water stress and increase yield in common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench)

Subsurface drainage and raised-bed planting reduce excess water stress and increase yield in common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench)

Concurrent waterlogging and anthracnose-twister disease in rainy-season onions (Allium cepa): Impact and management.

Waterlogging and anthracnose-twister disease are significant obstacles in rainy-season onion cultivation. As a shallow-rooted crop, onions are highly sensitive to waterlogging. Wherever rainy-season onion cultivation has been undertaken, the anthracnose-twister disease complex is also widespread across the world in addition to waterlogging. Waterlogging is the major predisposing factor for anthracnose and other fungal diseases. However, studies on the combined stress impact on onions have been ignored. In the present review, we have presented an overview of the anthracnose-twister disease, the waterlogging effect on host physiology, host-pathogen interaction under waterlogging stress, and appropriate management strategies to mitigate the combined stress effects. Crucial soil and crop management strategies can help cope with the negative impact of concurrent stresses. Raised bed planting with drip irrigation, the use of plant bio-regulators along with nutrient management, and need-based fungicide sprays would be the most reliable and feasible management options. The most comprehensive solution to withstand combined stress impacts would be a genetic improvement of commercial onion cultivars.

Water Productivity and Economic Profitability of Maize Plantation on Raised Beds Under Drip Irrigation and Conventional Ridge Planting

Water productivity can be enhanced by using drip irrigation on raised beds to minimize water wastage. This was demonstrated in field trials carried out on farmers' fields with Maize (Zea mays L.) in semi-arid area during 2020 and 2021. This study compared water productivity, crop yield and economic profitability of raised beds under drip irrigation with bed furrow and conventional ridge planting. Three treatments, T1 (raised bed planting with drip irrigation), T2 (bed planting with furrow irrigation) and T3 (ridge planting with furrow irrigation) were designed. Data on yield parameters, water productivity and quality parameters were recorded. Results revealed that the treatment of raised bed planting with drip irrigation (T1) was found to be superior as it showed significantly higher grain yield (7.67 and 8.2 t/ha) compared to bed furrow (T2; 5.91 and 6.2 t/ha) and conventional ridge furrow (T3; 3.99 and 4.6 t/ha) treatments during 2020 and 2021, respectively. Plant height, 1000-gain weight, grain yield/cob and grain protein contents of T1 treatment were significantly higher than in the other planting methods. Maximum water productivity (3.25 and 4.65 kg/ha m³) was also obtained from T1 treatment with 34% and 54% water savings compared to bed furrow and 60% and 63% water saving compared to ridge furrow treatments during 2020 and 2021 seasons, respectively. The results suggest that both crop and water productivity can be enhanced by adopting drip irrigation on raised beds in Punjab, Pakistan, where water wastage is a common issue.

Response of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) to different agro-techniques and NAA application

An experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) seasons of 2017–18 and 2018–19 at the research farm of Dr. Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh to study the effects of different planting methods, mulches and the addition of natural organic acids (NAAs) on bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth and yield. The experiment involved 12 different treatments of 2 planting methods, 3 mulching levels, and 2 levels of NAA in a Randomized Block Design (Factorial) and 3 replications. The yield and its characteristics were shown to be highly impacted by planting methods, mulch material, and NAA levels. In terms of maximum plant height, early blooming, maximum fruit length, fruit width, fruit weight, fruits/plant, fruits/plot, and yield/ha, P1, M2, and N1 each stood out as the best. The raised bed planting technique with silver/black polythene mulch and NAA treatment @15 ppm at 30 and 45 days after planting (P1M2N1) resulted in the highest plant height, days to 50% flowering, fruit length, fruit breadth, fruit weight, number of fruits/plant, yield/plot and yield/ha. According to the findings, in the mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh, the treatment P1M2N1 achieved the highest levels of yield and its attributing features.

Raised bed planting promotes grain number per spike in wheat grown after rice by improving spike differentiation and enhancing photosynthetic capacity

The yield of wheat in wheat–rice rotation cropping systems in the Yangtze River Plain, China, is adversely impacted by waterlogging. A raised bed planting (RBP) pattern may reduce waterlogging and increase the wheat yield after rice cultivation by improving the grain number per spike. However, the physiological basis for grain formation under RBP conditions remains poorly understood. The present study was performed over two growing seasons (2018/2019 and 2019/2020) to examine the effects of the planting pattern (i.e., RBP and flat planting (FP)) on the floret and grain formation features and leaf photosynthetic source characteristics of wheat. The results indicated that implementation of the RBP pattern improved the soil–plant nitrogen (N) supply during floret development, which facilitated balanced floret development, resulting in a 9.5% increase in the number of fertile florets per spike. Moreover, the RBP pattern delayed wheat leaf senescence and increased the photosynthetic source capacity by 13.9%, which produced more assimilates for grain filling. Delayed leaf senescence was attributed to the resultant high leaf N content and enhanced antioxidant metabolism. Correspondingly, under RBP conditions, 7.6–8.6% more grains per spike were recorded, and the grain yield was ultimately enhanced by 10.4–12.7%. These results demonstrate that the improvement of the spike differentiation process and the enhancement of the leaf photosynthetic capacity were the main reasons for the increased grain number per spike of wheat under the RBP pattern, and additional improvements in this technique should be achievable through further investigation.

Assessment of Water Productivity Enhancement and Sustainability Potential of Different Resource Conservation Technologies: A Review in the Context of Pakistan

Agriculture is the major economic sector in Asian countries and the majority of their population depends on it. In addition to the largest irrigation system in the Indus basin, Pakistan is suffering from water shortages that are affecting the overall crop production of the country. Different resource conservation technologies (RCTs) such as precision land leveling (PLL), raised bed planting (RBP), and different high-efficiency irrigation systems (HEISs) can be opted for better water productivity. In this study, the potential of these RCTs has been explored to enhance production and save irrigation water through their sustainable adoption. Based on studies by different researchers, water savings up to 47% and yield increases up to 35% have been reported under PLL, while water savings up to 50% and about 10–33% yield increases were observed under RBP. Similarly, under different HEISs, water savings up to 80% and yield increases up to 53% have been reported compared with crops sown under conventional farming. Based on the findings of the researchers regarding RCTs, these have been proved as progressive sowing techniques for better productivity under the limited available water scenario. The detailed review in this paper concludes that RCTs resulting in the improvement of gravity irrigation methods, viz., PLL and RBP, have a great potential of adoption and water productivity improvement at the regional scale in developing countries such as Pakistan, while high-cost HEISs can also be promoted at limited scale among progressive farmers for high-value agriculture.

Combining Planting Patterns with Mulching Bolsters the Soil Water Content, Growth, Yield, and Water Use Efficiency of Spring Wheat under Limited Water Supply in Arid Regions

Innovations in water-saving cultivation strategies are urgently needed to achieve high yield and elevated water use efficiency (WUE) simultaneously in arid regions with limited water resources. Here, we conducted a two-year field study to compare the impacts of eight combinations of planting patterns (PPs) and mulching on the soil water content (SWC) in the top 60 cm soil layer, the growth, the yield, and the WUE of wheat under two irrigation rates (1.00 and 0.50 ET). These combinations included three conventional flat planting (CF) patterns, including CF without mulch (CFNM), with plastic film (CFPM), and with wheat straw mulch (CFSM); three raised-bed planting (RB) patterns, including RB without mulch (RBNM), with plastic film (RBPM), and wheat straw (RBSM) mulch; and two ridge–furrow planting (RF) patterns, including RF without mulch (RFNM) and with plastic film mulch (RFPM). The results showed that the tested treatments affected the SWC at different depths under both irrigation rates. Compared with the two non-mulched treatments under 0.50 ET, the SWC of the three PPs with plastic film and the two PPs with wheat straw mulching were significantly higher before irrigation by 14.4–22.0% and 6.9–17.2% at 0–20 cm soil depth, 16.4–29.0% and 6.6–14.9% at 20–40 cm soil depth, and 3.3–34.8% and 3.4–14.5% at 40–60 cm soil depth, respectively. All measured wheat parameters, except harvest index, were significantly affected by the interaction between irrigation rate and PPs. The highest values for plant dry weight (PDW), yield components, grain yield (GY), and WUE under 1.00 ET were obtained in the two PPs with wheat straw mulch, while the three PPs with plastic film showed the highest values of these parameters under 0.50 ET. The yield response factor (Ky) based on PDW was acceptable for all PPs mulched with plastic film and wheat straw as well as for RFNM, while Ky based on GY was acceptable only for the PPs mulched with plastic film and for RFNM, as the Ky values of these PPs were less than 1 under 0.50 ET. The SWC at different depths exhibited quadratic and nonsignificant relationships with all parameters under 1.00 ET, while these relationships were linear and strong under 0.50 ET, with a few exceptions. Overall, we conclude that combining any PPs with plastic film mulching could be used as a feasible and effective strategy for obtaining high wheat yield and WUE in the irrigated and arid agroecosystem.

Optimal bed width for wheat following rice production with raised-bed planting in the Yangtze River Plain of China

Waterlogging is a major threat to wheat following rice production in the Yangtze River Plain, China, where the raised-bed planting (RBP) pattern is recommended to reduce yield losses from waterlogging. Furrows used in RBP allow drainage runoff, and beds serve as planting zones. However, the optimal bed widths for wheat following rice cultivation are unknown. To adopt the most effective RBP patterns, we evaluated the effects of bed width on the volumetric soil water content (VSWC), radiation use efficiency, yield and profitability among different RBP patterns during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 growing seasons. The experiment comprised six planting patterns: conventional flat planting (FP) and five RBP patterns with different bed widths (RBP60, RBP120, RBP180, RBP240 and RBP300). The results demonstrated that VSWC increased with increasing bed width and RBP decreased VSWC in the 0–10 cm soil layer, but VSWC did not significantly decrease when the beds were excessively wide. The improved soil conditions promoted wheat canopy development and the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR), which resulted in a significantly higher value of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) that eventually increased both grain yields and net revenue. The increase compared to FP was greatest for RBP180 and RBP240. There were tradeoffs between the positive growth-promoting effects and the negative effect of decreased planting area with RBP. Excessively wide beds reduced the advantages of water drainage, and excessively narrow bed widths reduced radiation resource capture. The optimal bed widths for wheat production on the Yangtze River Plain were 213.4–215.3 cm, 204.2–211.4 cm, 197.3–206.5 cm and 204.9–214.6 cm for IPAR, biomass, yield and economic benefits, respectively. Overall, RBP patterns with a 200.0-cm-bed and 25.0-cm-wide furrows are optimal for wheat after rice production under the current amount of rainfall in the Yangtze River Plain.

Impact of Ridge and Furrow Method of Planting on Groundnut Yield Attributes in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India

Climate change is putting increasing pressure on India's farmers' land and natural resources, which they rely on not just to feed the country but also to support their livelihoods. Approximately 30% of land is currently degraded, and rising temperatures mean agriculture will require 30% more water. Innovative approaches are emerging across India to assist farmers in adapting to climate change challenges and mitigating the effects of their farming practises. An innovative ridge and furrow planting pattern and its impact on ground nut crop production was carried out. The field experiment was conducted during the two consecutive Rabi and Kharif seasons of 2020 and 2021 to study ridge and furrow in-situ conservation system for Groundnut crop at farmer’s fields in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh under Southern agro-climatic region. Raised bed planting involves sowing of crops using raised bed maker alternated with furrows for irrigation. Bed width depends upon crop spacing usually ranging from 30 cm, and accommodates crop on raised bed. Raised beds require reshaping each year preferably before Kharif season. Bed planting reduces cost, and saves seed, fertilizer and irrigation water. It also increases water-use efficiency both under rainfed and irrigated scenarios because water moves laterally from furrows into beds thereby reducing evaporation losses. Further lesser incidence of pest and diseases as well as better aeration within furrows. Weed population reduced on ridge and furrow method of planting. The ridge-furrow method of planting groundnut has been reported to save seed and water by 25-30% and fertilizer by 25%, yield enhancement to the extent of 8-23% higher compared to the normal flatbed sowing method. Economic analysis revealed that the net profit was recorded higher under ridge and furrow system compared to normal flatbed sowing. Benefit–cost ratio (BCR) ratio was recorded under ridge and furrow system (5.13) while under flat sowing system (2.20) for the consecutive years respectively.

Effect of Raised Bed, Mulching and Training System on Soil Temperature and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Background: The use of crop improvement practices in vegetable cultivation has increased during the last years. Methods: A field experiment was conducted on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) at Research Farm of Vegetable Science, Dr YSP UHF Nauni, Solan in the year 2018-2019 in a randomized complete block design with three replications in order to evaluate the effects of planting methods, mulching and training system on soil temperature and yield of tomato. Treatments consisted of planting methods (raised bed, flat bed), mulching treatments (black mulch, silver/black mulch and no mulch) and training systems (two stem training and three stem training). Result: Results of the study indicated highest values of plant height, fruit weight,yield and soil temperature were observed under raised bed planting methods, black mulch along with two stem trained plants. Also black coloured mulch had significantly higher values of marketable yield. The highest soil temperature was found to be higher by about 1 to 10oC as compared to no mulch plot. It can be concluded that use of black colour mulch significantly increased the growth, yield and yield contributing characters of tomato under the open field conditions.