Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. sp4 (2025): Recent Advances in Agriculture by Young Minds - III

Effect of moisture conservation methods on the growth parameters of vegetables grown under rainfed conditions

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.9411
Submitted
11 May 2025
Published
23-12-2025

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the impact of various moisture conservation practices, combined with soil amendments, on the physicochemical and biological properties of soil, plant growth parameters and crop productivity in a region with an erratic rainfall pattern. A field experiment was conducted at the Advanced Centre for Rainfed Agriculture (ACRA), Dhiansar, Samba district, Jammu and Kashmir, for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively.  This field trial was laid out in a split-plot design comprising twelve treatments with different mulches, replicated thrice. Various moisture conservation methods, including mulch (plastic and organic), along with soil amendments via biochar- 2 t/ha and 4 t/ha, rice husk- 2 t/ha, were compared to RDF (Recommended Dose of Fertiliser with no mulch). Findings revealed that in case of brinjal, T3 (RDF in combination with 4 t/ha biochar and Plastic Mulch (PM) on application revealed maximum plant height (2022: 84.3 cm, 77.3 cm; 2023: 85.3 cm, 83.0 cm) and fruit weight (2022: 178.6 g, 175.7 g; 2023: 204.7 g, 203.9 g), respectively and in onion, T3 (RDF in combination with 4 t/ha biochar) and PM recorded maximum plant height (2022: 90 DAT: 53.22 cm, 50.95 cm; 2023: 90 DAT: 54.0 cm, 51.60 cm) and maximum bulb weight (2022: 11485.93 g, 11048.06 g; 2023: 12233.33 g, 11616.67 g), respectively. Whereas, the control group T1 (RDF) with No Mulch (NM) showed the lower results for both consecutive years 2022-2023. The study highlights the importance of integrating moisture conservation methods in drip irrigation systems to optimise water use and enhance crop growth in rainfed agricultural systems.

References

  1. 1. Minoli S, Müller C, Elliott J, Ruane AC, Jägermeyr J, Zabel F, et al. Global response patterns of major rainfed crops to adaptation by maintaining current growing periods and irrigation. Earths Future. 2019;7(12):1464-80. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF001130
  2. 2. Ali L, Xiukang W, Naveed M, Ashraf S, Nadeem SM, Haider FU, et al. Impact of biochar application on germination behavior and early growth of maize seedlings: insights from a growth room experiment. Appl Sci. 2021;11(24):11666. https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411666
  3. 3. Liang M, Lu L, He H, Li J, Zhu Z, Zhu Y. Applications of biochar and modified biochar in heavy metal contaminated soil: a descriptive review. Sustainability. 2021;13(24):1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132414041
  4. 4. Sharma P, Abrol V, Sharma V, Chaddha S, Rao CS, Ganie AQ, et al. Effectiveness of biochar and compost on improving soil hydro-physical properties, crop yield and monetary returns in inceptisol subtropics. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021;28(12):7539-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.09.043
  5. 5. Agegnehu G, Srivastava AK, Bird MI. The role of biochar and biochar-compost in improving soil quality and crop performance: a review. Appl Soil Ecol. 2017;119:156-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.06.008
  6. 6. Murtaza G, Ahmed Z, Usman M, Tariq W, Ullah Z, Shareef M, et al. Biochar induced modifications in soil properties and its impacts on crop growth and production. J Plant Nutr. 2021;44(11):1677-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2021.1871746
  7. 7. Abrol V, BenHur M, Verheijen FG, Keizer JJ, Martins MA, Tenaw H, et al. Biochar effects on soil water infiltration and erosion under seal formation conditions: rainfall simulation experiment. J Soils Sediments. 2016;16(12):2709-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1448-8
  8. 8. Hussain M, Farooq M, Nawaz A, Al-Sadi AM, Solaiman ZM, Alghamdi SS, et al. Biochar for crop production: potential benefits and risks. J Soils Sediments. 2017;17:685-716. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1360-2
  9. 9. Mansoor S, Kour N, Manhas S, Zahid S, Wani OA, Sharma V, et al. Biochar as a tool for effective management of drought and heavy metal toxicity. Chemosphere. 2021;271:129458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129458
  10. 10. Rangaiah KM, Nagaraju B, Shankaraiah SK, Kasturappa G, Kadappa BP, Sugatur Narayanaswamy UK, et al. Enhancing yield, uptake and nutrient use efficiency of brinjal through soil test crop response approach. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal. 2024;55(7):998-1014. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2023.2289988
  11. 11. Bairwa RK, Narolia RK, Bhunia SR, Yadav PK, Sharma AK, Dotaniya CK. Effect of Nitrogen, Potassium and Sulphur fertilization on nutrient uptake and bulb yield of onion (Allium cepa L) in arid western Rajasthan. Indian J Pure Appl Biosci. 2020;8(4):221-27. https://doi.org/10.18782/2582-2845.8272
  12. 12. Limeneh DF, Beshir MH, Mengistu GF. Nutrient uptake and use efficiency of onion seed yield as influenced by nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization. J Plant Nutr. 2020;43(9):1229-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2020.1727505
  13. 13. Balafoutis A, Beck B, Fountas S, Vangeyte J, Wal VT, Soto I, et al. Precision agriculture technologies positively contributing to greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, farm productivity and economics. Sustainability. 2017;9(8):1339. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9081339
  14. 14. Rafique M, Ortas I, Ahmed IA, Rizwan M, Afridi MS, Sultan T, et al. Potential impact of biochar types and microbial inoculants on growth of onion plant in differently textured and phosphorus limited soils. J Environ Manage. 2019;247:672-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.06.123
  15. 15. Ramadhan RG, Adam DH, Mustamu NE, Walida H. Increasing the growth and production of eggplant (Solanum melongena L) by providing wood biochar. J Agron Tanam Tropika. 2024;6(2):616-21. https://doi.org/10.36378/juatika.v6i2.3660
  16. 16. Hossain MF, Piash MI, Parveen Z. Effect of biochar and fertilizer application on the growth and nutrient accumulation of rice and vegetable in two contrast soils. Acta Sci Agric. 2019;3(3):74-83.
  17. 17. Lv Y, Xu L, Guo X, Liu J, Zou B, Guo Y, et al. Effect of biochar on soil physiochemical properties and bacterial diversity in dry direct-seeded rice paddy fields. Agronomy. 2022;13(1):4. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13010004
  18. 18. Cedeño Á, Olmo M, Cedeño G, Lucas M, Saldarriaga V, Villar R. Effects of different biochar types on the growth and functional traits of rice (Oryza sativa L). J Agron Tanam Tropika. 2024;25(3):282-90. https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/182868
  19. 19. Hasanuzzamana SM, Islamb MK, Alimc MA, Hasand MS. Growth, yield and quality seed production of onion response to mulching and varieties. J Wastes Biomass Manage. 2022;4(1):53-58. https://doi.org/10.26480/jwbm.01.2022.53.58
  20. 20. Singh H, Northup BK, Rice CW, Prasad PV. Biochar applications influence soil physical and chemical properties, microbial diversity and crop productivity: a meta-analysis. Biochar. 2022;4(1):8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-022-00138-1
  21. 21. Sarkar A, Ghosh A, Tarafdar PK, De SK. Assessing the water and thermal use efficiencies of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L) grown under different strength of jute agro-textile mulch in India. Curr J Appl Sci Technol. 2019;37(4):1-10. https://doi.org/10.9734/cjast/2019/v37i430299
  22. 22. Mahadeen AY. Effect of polyethylene black plastic mulch on growth and yield of two summer vegetable crops under rain-fed conditions under semi-arid region conditions. Am J Agric Biol Sci. 2014;9(2):202-7. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajabssp.2014.202.207
  23. 23. Rachel MG, Mondal MMA, Pramanik MHR, Awal MA. Mulches enhanced growth and yield of onion. Bangladesh J Sci Ind Res. 2018;53(4):305-10. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjsir.v53i4.39195
  24. 24. Xu X, Li Y, Du L, Li C, Zhang H, Jia B, et al. Drip irrigation under film mulch used on flat-bed increased vegetable yield by altering soil microbe community structure and soil nitrogen. Irrig Sci. 2024;42(4):627-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-023-00910-6
  25. 25. McMillen M. The effect of mulch type and thickness on the soil surface evaporation rate. Crop Science, Bachelor of Science [thesis]. California Polytechnic State University, Horticulture and Crop Science Department; 2013

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.