Bhalerao, R.V.Bansod, Vaibhav Updesh2023-03-112023-03-112022-11-3023094https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810195094A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season 2021-2022 at Experimental field, Department of Horticulture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani on “Studies on different mulches in broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) Cv. Ganesh Broccoli’’. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with eight treatments and three replicationsviz., T1 i.e., silver polythene mulch, T2 i.e., black polythene mulch, T3 i.e., white polythene mulch, T4 i.e., blue polythene mulch, T5 i.e., red polythene mulch, T6 i.e., orange polythene mulch, T7 i.e., leaf litter and T8 i.e., control to study the effect of different mulches on growth, yield and quality attributes of broccoli. Results showed that, the significant and maximum values of growth characters viz., plant height, number of leaves, length of leaf, width of leaf, leaf area, stem girth, minimum days to 1st head initiation, minimum days to 50 per cent head initiation, days to harvesting, weight of head, weight of side-shoots, diameter of head, volume of head recorded by T2 i.e., black polythene mulch. Significantly highest yield per plant, total yield per plot and yield per hectare were observed in T2 i.e., black polythene mulch and T1 i.e., silver polythene mulch. Quality parameters viz., significant values of SPAD chlorophyll meter reading were observed in T2 i.e., black polythene mulch and T4 i.e., blue polythene mulch. Maximum ascorbic acid content, total soluble solids, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar were recorded by T2 i.e., black polythene mulch ad T1 i.e., silver polythene mulch. Minimum values of quality parameters were recorded in T8 i.e., control. Soil parameters viz., maximum root zone temperature at morning 7:23 am and afternoon 2:23 pm was recorded in T2 i.e., black polythene mulch. Significantly maximum soil moisture was noted in treatment T2 i.e., black polythene mulch and by T1 i.e., silver polythene mulch. Minimum root zone temperature and soil moisture was recorded in T8 i.e., control. Significantly reduced weed density (12.67) was observed under T2 i.e., black polythene mulch. Lowest aphid population was recorded in T1 i.e., silver polythene mulch and T3 i.e., white polythene mulch. T8 i.e., control was observed with higher weed density and maximum aphid population.EnglishThesis