Effect of crop establishment methods and mulch levels of thatch grass (Hyparrhenia hirta) on finger millet (Eleusine coracana l) productivity under minimum tillage conditions in Zimbabwe

A field trial was conducted during the 2020-21 rainy season at Midlands State University, Kwekwe campus, to test the effect of crop establishment methods and thatch grass (Hyparrhenia hirta) mulching levels on finger millet productivity. The ultimate goal was to determine the best combination between mulch quantity and crop establishment method that would yield the highest finger millet grain yield. The trial consisted of three establishment methods, namely broadcasting, transplanting, and dribbling into rows, and five mulch levels: 0 tons/ha, 3 tons/ha, 6 tons/ha, 9 tons/ha, and 12 tons/ha, laid out in a 3x5 factorial structure in a CRBD. The trial results showed that transplanted finger millet performed statistically lower than the other crop establishment methods for most growth and yield attributes that were evaluated. Finger millet directly seeded into rows gave a 45.14% higher grain yield compared to finger millet established by transplanting, while finger millet established by broadcasting yielded 32% more than transplanting. The better performance of the heavily mulched treatments could be attributed to the mulch producing more soil water conservation, which in turn led to better crop productivity than in treatments where less mulch was used. However, for the broadcasting treatment, heavy mulching resulted in lower grain yield due to reduced plant population, as germination of the tiny finger millet seeds was impeded by excess mulch in such plots. It can be recommended that without irrigation capabilities, finger millet establishment through transplanting is inadvisable because the transplanted crop may fail to fully recover from the detrimental effects of transplanting shock.