Influence of mulching on soil moisture, organic carbon content and weed intensity in marigold

The field experiment was conducted in rabi season of 2020-2021 at College of Horticulture, Dapoli, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) comprising four replications and six mulching treatments a Control (No mulch, T₁), Paddy straw (T₂), dry grass (T₃), glyricidia leaves (T₄), black polyethylene mulch (T₅) and silver polyethylene mulch (T₆). The soil moisture was recorded highest (22.30%) in treatment T₅ (Black polythene mulch) and was significantly superior to all other treatment and the lowest soil moisture (16.70%) was registered in treatment T₁ (Control). The organic carbon content was not varied significantly due to mulching treatments. At 60 days and 90 after transplanting, the significantly lowest weed intensity (1.27 and 2.16 per m², respectively) was also observed in T₅ treatment (Black polythene mulch). It was at par with the T₆ treatment indicating that polythene mulches are advantageous to check the weed growth in marigold cultivation.