Effect of plastic mulching on Biometric characteristics and yield of paddy (Oryza sativa L.) in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state

The field experiment entitled with “effect of plastic mulching on Biometric characteristics and yield of paddy” carried out with the help of ATMA in 12 tahsils of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra state from June to October in the 2017-2019. The average annual precipitation of Gadchiroli District is 900 - 1400 mm. The annual mean temperature is 30.1˚C - 35.3˚C, (The effective accumulated temperature of the annual mean temperature is 4386.2˚C - 5247.1˚C·d). Different thickness (20, 30, 40 μm) of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) film (6 m × 1.7 m) was paved on each plot before planting. The plot without HDPE film was CK. Each treatment was replicated thrice. All plots were arranged in a randomized blocks design, and the plot size was 10.2 m2. Each plot was surrounded by a buffer zone of 0.2 m wide. In the growing season, water layer with 3 - 5 cm depth was maintained in the buffer zone. The paddy soil, belong to clay, contained 53.3 mg·kg^-1 available N, 10.05 mg·kg^-1 available P, 74.9 mg·kg^-1 available K, 21.4 g·kg^-1 organic matter, and its pH was 6.4. Seed of four paddy varieties were selected for experimentation. Seeds were placed on mulching bed with the planting density of 0.43 m × 0.35 m and 2-3 seed is per hole. The traditional method of puddling and transplanting in heavy rainfall region leads to soil losses. This loss can be stopped in plastic mulching with to increase in productivity by 27.74%.Growth of weeds and expenditure on weed control is very less as compared to traditional method hence it helps to increase productivity and suitability of paddy mulching technology. In traditional method expenditure of Rs. 2950/- is incurred on puddling, Nursery and transplanting. per acre saving in seed cost by Rs. 900/-. Due to silver colour in mulching of mulching reflection of sunlight is more which enhances growth of plants especially in rainy and cloudy days. In all the season green colour of paddy plants was noteworthy. Also, it leads to early maturity of the crop by 15 days. Reduction in the cost of cultivation motivates farmers to grow crops in the Rabi and summer season. Due to increase in productivity the expenditure of plastic mulching of Rs. 8000/- is earned by farmers in the first crop. The total expenditure in mulching was Rs. 17400/- and cost of total production was Rs. 37072/- which leads to net profit worth Rs. 19672/- where as in control plot net profit was only Rs. 10104/-. It is strongly recommended that Paddy growing farmers of Vidarbha region are advised to cultivate paddy on the plastic mulching.