SHARMA, J CSHARMA, RADHIKA2021-10-292021-10-292021-10https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810177518ABSTRACT Present investigation entitled “Influence of mulching on productivity of peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch)” was carried out with seven treatments comprising black polythene mulch (BP), mulch mat (MM), transparent polythene mulch (TP), grass mulch (GM) and pine needle mulch (PM), recommended practices (RP) and unmulched control (UM) in order to evaluate the effect of these treatments on soil hydro thermal regimes, physical and chemical properties of soil, yield, productivity quality and benefit cost ratio in peach. The study revealed that highest soil moisture at 0-7.5 and 7.5- 15 cm depths was conserved under the treatment BP followed by MM, GM, PM, TP, RP and UM. The treatment un mulched control maintained lowest soil moisture contents at both depths. At 0730 hr, maximum soil temperature at 7.5 and 15 cm depths was recorded under TP followed by BP, MM, GM, PM, RP and UM. Similarly, at 1430 hr maximum soil temperature at aforesaid depth was recorded under the treatment TP, followed by BP and MM, UM, RP, GM and PM. The organic mulches GM and PM helped in maintaining better hydrothermal regimes of soil by conserving moisture during different phenological stages of peach and avoided temperature fluctuations by increasing the minimum soil temperature and decreasing the maximum soil temperature that enhanced microbial population and improved quality of peach. Total viable count, microbial activity and microbial biomass carbon increased significantly under GM followed by PM and was higher at surface (0-15 cm) over sub surface (15-30 cm). Among the leaf nutrients, K was significantly high under GM. Mulching did not alter physical and chemical properties of soil and in general, OC, N, P, K, Ca, Mg and SO4 -2 content were higher at surface as compared to subsurface. Highest amount of moisture conserved under BP and application of irrigation water in RP during different months enhanced fruit diameter and fruit weight that significantly increased fruit yield and fruit productivity. Trees mulched with BP recorded highest (22.7 t ha-1) fruit productivity closely followed by RP (22.5 t ha-1) whereas lowest was under UM (13.2 t ha-1). All the mulches, except TP, significantly reduced the weed incidence. The higher albedo of black mulch and smothering effect of mulch mat gave hundred per cent weed control efficiency 120 and 150 DAS. Among various treatments tested, for B:C ratio, RP and BP was found to be the most effective and economical, followed by MM and organic mulches (GM and PM) for peach production under rainfed conditions of mid-hill region of Himachal Pradesh.EnglishThesis