EFFECT OF PEST EXCLUSION NET AND MULCHING ON OKRA PRODUCTION AT RAMPUR, CHITWAN, NEPAL

Abstract

This study entitled 'Effect of Pest Exclusion Net and Mulching on Okra Production at Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal' was conducted at Horticulture Farm of Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal from May, 2018 to August, 2018. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design having five treatments namely i) Control (No net + no mulch) ii) Organic mulch (Rice straw mulch) iii) Black plastic mulch iv) Silver plastic mulch v) Pest exclusion net + black plastic mulch. Swastik-2 F1 variety was selected for the study. Recorded data were analyzed using R-software (R version 3.5.3), MS Excel 2016 and Minitab 18. The result revealed that silver plastic mulch and black plastic mulch treatment resulted in significantly higher yield (30.74 and 29.39 mt/ha respectively), leaf number per plant (27.98 and 26.73), branch number per plant (5.1 and 4.8), fruit number per plant (33.65, 29.77) and the lowest days to flowering (38.5 and 39.75 days) while PEN+black plastic mulching treatment resulted in higher stem diameter (25.41 mm), higher plant height (212.93 cm), longest days to flowering (43 days), higher fruit length (18.26 cm), higher fruit diameter (17.34 mm), higher fruit weight (32.80 gm) , the lowest leaf number per plant (15.58), the lowest branch number per plant (3.85), the lowest yield (20.4 mt/ha) and the lowest light intensity (110.32 lux). There was no significant difference in yield between black plastic mulching and silver plastic mulching. Correlation study on yield attributing factors also revealed that yield of okra is positively and significantly correlated with leaf number per plant (0.984), branch number per plant (0.962), fruit number per plant (0.972) and soil temperature (0.899). Similarly, days to flowering was found negatively and significantly correlated with yield (-0.985) of okra. Plant inside PEN+black plastic mulching which received low light intensity had higher vegetative growth but found with low yield. Plant in control and straw mulch treatment were found with both low vegetative growth and yield. The cultivation with silver plastic mulch and black plastic mulch were economically more viable as compared to other treatments. in Chitwan.