Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

The present field study was conducted to investigate the influence of diverse mulching materials on soil moisture, weed biomass, and the vegetative and floral attributes of chrysanthemum cultivar Pusa Shwet. Among the various mulch treatments, plants grown in plots covered with black polyethylene exhibited the most favorable outcomes, including the tallest plants (87.37 cm), the maximum number of primary branches per plant (12.13), the highest number of leaves per plant (602.66), the greatest plant spread (44.34 cm), and the largest leaf area (18.17 cm, ²). Notably, the floral characteristics of these plants also surpassed the others, with the earliest days to bud appearance and flowering (78.60 and 106.13 days, respectively), the maximum flowering duration (41.46 days), the largest flower diameter (7.64 cm), the heaviest individual flower weight (3.00 g), the longest cut spray length (53.11 cm), the highest number of flowers per plant (135.26), and the longest vase life (19.86 days). Similarly, the plots mulched with black polyethylene displayed the lowest fresh and dry weed biomass, while the spent mushroom compost yielded the maximum soil moisture content, closely followed by the black polyethylene mulch. These findings collectively suggest that the application of black polyethylene mulch is an effective strategy for enhancing the vegetative and floral performance of chrysanthemum cultivar Pusa Shwet, while simultaneously reducing weed growth and maintaining optimal soil moisture levels, thereby contributing to the overall improvement of chrysanthemum cultivation.