Influence of soil surface manipulation on soil temperature in relation to peanut production

Abstract

Soil temperature is recognised as one of the most important factors in crop production. Some degree of manual control of soil temperature is possible through regulation of soil surface cover. The effect of eight mulch treatments ( rice husk, rice husk incorporated, paddy straw, saw dust, water mulch, transparent polyethylene, black polyethylene and bare) on the soil temperature during various growth phases of peanut crop (Arachis hypogaea L.) were investigated on a lateritic sandy loam soil (ultisols). These experiments were conducted for two consecutive seasons. Plastic mulches raised the temperature upto 5 0 C generally during afternoon whereas vegetative mulches depressed the same. Between the plastic mulches, black polyethylene covered field recorded lower soil temperature (upto 2 0 C) than the transparent one. Water mulches due to their high specific heat capacity acted as a heat sink during the day and heat source at night. The vegetative mulches suppressed the soil temperature and did not allow the radiant energy to contact the soil directly and emitted back the energy to the atmosphere. Among the vegetative mulches, rice husk and saw dust proved better than paddy straw and rice husk incorporated. The type and amount of soil cover which modify micro-climate and soil edaphic environment, may help to plan the farming practice for better crop growth and production.

Effect of Various Mulches and Irrigation Levels on Root Zone Temperature, Growth and Fruit Yield of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus T.) cv. Kiran

“…The interaction effect of season x mulches and season x irrigation levels on soil temperature at different depths were found significant, where as interaction effect of irrigation levels x mulches and season x irrigation levels x mulches were found inconsistent with soil depths. Similar results have been earlier reported polythene and organic mulches used in cucumber (Aniekwe and Anike, 2015), groundnut (Khan et al, 2013), capsicum (Sharma and Meshram, 2015; bottle guard (Deshmukh et al, 2013) and in sunflower (Domber et al, 2009).…”

“…The lowest daily mean soil temperatures at corresponding depths were 27.03, 26.84, 26.79 and 26.86 0 C observed under soybean straw mulch treatment. According to Khan et al, (2013), the vegetative mulches suppressed the soil temperature and did not allow the radiant energy to contact the soil directly and emitted back the energy to the atmosphere. Awasthi et al, (2006) reported that soil mulched with organic mulches showed beneficial effect in lowering the soil temperature during summer months, while increase in soil temperature was recorded during the peak winter months.…”

Effect of date of transplanting and mulching on growth, yield and quality of onion (Allium cepa L.) cv. Nasik Red

“…Mulching increased TSS content in general and the better TSS by mulching might be due to more assimilation of nutrients and better soil moisture as observed by Olfati et al (2008) in carrot. Khan et al (2013) also reported the beneficial effect of soil surface management by mulching while experimented on peanut production. Similarly, ascorbic acid (10.47mg/100 g) content was also increased due to wheat straw mulching at transplanting on 1 st December (T 7 ) and poor performance was found by late transplanting i.e.…”