Black Polyethylene Mulch Doubled Tomato Yield in a Low-input System in Arid Trans-Himalayan Ladakh Region

  • Stanzin Angmo Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
  • R. P Bhatt DRDO-Office of Director General (Life Sciences), New Delhi-110011, India
  • Eli Paljor Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
  • Phuntsog Dolkar Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
  • Bhuvnesh Kumar DRDO-Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Delhi-110054, India
  • Om Prakash Chaurasia Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
  • Tsering Stobdan Defence Institute of High Altitude Research http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7859-3868
Keywords: Crop productivity, Early fruiting, Ladakh, Lycopersicon esculentum, Organic farming

Abstract

The influence of black polyethylene mulch (BPM) on growth and yield of tomato was investigated under a low-input cultivation system in arid high altitude (elevation 3344 m) in trans-Himalaya. The mean marketable yield varied from 27.8±2.5 t.ha-1 in open-pollinated varieties with no mulch treatment to 81.2±11.9 t.ha-1 in hybrid tomatoes with BPM. The yield of hybrid tomatoes with BPM is similar or greater than those reported in high-input systems. With BPM, total marketable yield in hybrid varieties increased by 102 per cent and 107 per cent in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Yield increase due to mulching in open-pollinated varieties was 86 per cent and 80 per cent in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Increase in early fruiting under BPM was observed in all the five varieties studied. Difference in soil temperature between mulch and unmulch was significantly higher at early growth stage than during later stages. BPM reduced 57 per cent weed and save 74 per cent time in manual weeding. Incidence of insect-pest and diseases was minimal, and rotten fruit was less than 2 per cent of marketable yield without staking and pesticide or fungicide application.

Author Biographies

Stanzin Angmo, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

Ms Stanzin Angmo, received her MSc (Horticulture) from University of Calcutta. Currently working as a Senior Research Fellow and pursuing her PhD in the Plant Science Division, DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh. She is currently workings on a project entitled ‘Enhancing vegetable crop productivity in trans-Himalayan Ladakh’

R. P Bhatt, DRDO-Office of Director General (Life Sciences), New Delhi-110011, India

Dr. RP Bhatt is Scientist ‘F’ at DRDO-Office of Director General (Life Sciences), New Dellhi. He has vast research experience of working in mountainous regions.

Eli Paljor, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

Shri Eli Paljor is Technical Officer ‘D’ in Plant Science Division at DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh. He has vast experience in greenhouse and vegetable cultivation in Ladakh.

Phuntsog Dolkar, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

Ms Phuntsog Dolkar, received her MSc (Biotechnology) from Barkatullah University. Currently working as a Senior Research Fellow and pursuing her PhD in the Plant Science Division, DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh. She is currently workings on a project entitled ‘Gender differences in antioxidant properties, phenotypic plasticity and freeze tolerance in Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) along an altitudinal gradient in trans-Himalayan Ladakh, India’.

Bhuvnesh Kumar, DRDO-Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Delhi-110054, India

Dr Bhuvnesh Kumar, received his BVSc & AH (Veterinary Sciences), MVSc and PhD in Veterinary Medicine from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand), in 1982, 1984 and 1999, respectively. Currently working as a Director, DRDO-Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Delhi. He has vast experience of working in mountainous regions covering western, central and north east Himalayas.

Om Prakash Chaurasia, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

Dr O.P. Chaurasia obtained his PhD (Botany) from Magadh University Bodh Gaya, Bihar, in 1992. Currently working as Scientist ‘F’ and Director, DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh. He has extensively surveyed trans-Himalayan belts of Ladakh and Lahaul-Spiti and documented the fragile plant biodiversity and its ethnobotanical wealth

 

Tsering Stobdan, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

 

Dr. Tsering Stobdan received his PhD in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Currently working as Scientist ‘E’ and Head, Plant Science Division at DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh. He has 5 patents including one in USA, over 50 publications in reputed national and international journals, two monogram and 20 book chapters to his credit.

Published
2017-12-15
How to Cite
Angmo, S., Bhatt, R., Paljor, E., Dolkar, P., Kumar, B., Chaurasia, O., & Stobdan, T. (2017). Black Polyethylene Mulch Doubled Tomato Yield in a Low-input System in Arid Trans-Himalayan Ladakh Region. Defence Life Science Journal, 3(1), 80-84. https://doi.org/10.14429/dlsj.3.12094
Section
Commemorative Issue - DRDO