Influence of Spacing and Mulching on Economic Performance of Strawberry Cultivation
Himadri Shekhar Datta *
College of Horticulture and Farming Systems Research, Nalbari, India.
Rinumoni Buragohain
College of Horticulture and Farming Systems Research, Nalbari, India.
P. C. Barua
College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, 785013, India.
U. Kotoky
College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, 785013, India.
R. Das
College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, 785013, India.
H. K. D. Nath
AAU-Zonal Research Station, Assam Agricultural University, Shillongani,782002, India.
H. Saikia
College of Sericulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, 785013, India.
Bornali Gogoi
College of Horticulture and Farming Systems Research, Nalbari, India.
Purnima Pathak
College of Horticulture and Farming Systems Research, Nalbari, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of spacing and mulch on economic performance of Strawberry cultivation in farmer’s field of Jorhat district of Assam. The field experiment was organized using a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications and included twenty treatments featuring five plant spacings: 20 cm x 30 cm, 30 cm x 30 cm, 30 cm x 40 cm, 40 cm x 40 cm, and 40 cm x 60 cm, along with four types of mulch applications: paddy straw, red mulch, silver black mulch, and no mulch. The findings showed that the greatest expense per hectare was noted in the nearest spacing of 20 cm x 30 cm when using paddy straw. The plants with a spacing of 40 cm x 60 cm and silver black mulch incurred the least overall costs. The greatest benefit cost ratio was achieved in 40 cm x 40 cm beneath silver black mulch. The study showed that both spacing and mulching treatment combination of 40 cm x 40 cm with silver black mulch had significant effect on revenue earned from strawberry cultivation.
Keywords: Crop geometry, spacing, mulch, cost-benefit ratio, economic analysis, strawberry