Effect of mulching materials and organic sources of nutrients on yield, quality and economics of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) var. Sugandham

The experiment was carried out at Horticultural Research Farm, Department of Horticulture. B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand during kharif season of the year 2022 and 2023. A factorial randomized block design was used in the experiment, which included three replications, twelve treatment combinations, three levels of mulching materials, M1: No mulch, M2: Paddy straw and M3: Black polythene mulch (50 micron thickness) and four levels of organic sources of nutrients, O1: 25% RDN from Vermicompost, O2: 25% RDN from Poultry manure, O3: 25% RDN from Neem cake and O4: 25% RDN from FYM. The effect of mulching materials and organic sources of nutrients as well as their interactions effect on yield, quality and economics of turmeric were recorded. In different mulching materials, black polythene mulch (M3) recorded maximum number of mother rhizomes / plant (2.21), number of finger rhizomes / plant (14.02), weight of mother rhizome (77.65 g/plant), weight of finger rhizome (111.18 g/plant), yield of fresh rhizome (11.64 kg/net plot, 26.94 t/ha), dry weight of mother rhizomes (1.56 kg/net plot) and dry weight of finger rhizomes (2.68 kg/net plot). Mulching materials did not showed any significant effect on quality parameter like curcumin content (%). In case of organic sources of nutrients, treatment O2: 25% RDN from Poultry manure gave higher yield parameters viz., maximum number of mother rhizomes / plant (2.38), number of finger rhizomes / plant (15.44), weight of mother rhizome (80.83 g/plant), weight of finger rhizome (118.95 g/plant) yield of fresh rhizome (11.93 kg/net plot, 27.62 t/ha), dry weight of mother rhizomes (1.69 kg/net plot) and dry weight of finger rhizomes (2.84 kg/net plot), quality parameter like curcumin content (2.95%) followed by application of 25% RDN from neem cake. Interaction effect of mulching materials and organic sources of nutrients with quality parameter like curcumin content (%) was remained non-significant. Treatment combination M3O2 i.e., Black polythene + 25% RDN from Poultry manure registered maximum yield parameters viz., maximum number of mother rhizomes / plant (2.71), number of finger rhizomes / plant (18.38), weight of mother rhizome (95.09 g/plant), weight of finger rhizomes (136.28 g/plant), yield of fresh rhizome (14.07 kg/net plot, 32.57 t/ha), dry weight of mother rhizomes (1.96 kg/net plot), dry weight of finger rhizomes (3.28 kg/net plot) and B: C ratio followed by black polythene with 25% RDN from neem cake.