Effects of Mulch on the Growth, Yield and Weed Development of Eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) (PDF)

Scientific Study from the year 2018 in the subject Agrarian Studies, grade: 10, , language: English, abstract: The study aspires to compare two different plots with and without plastic mulch for growing eggplants. The study was conducted in order to find the answer on how to lessen weed development increasing the yield of crops and to identify the different species of weed and its population on eggplant. Specifically, the success of the research was based on the harvested fruit of the eggplant and the data gathered. The result from the gathered data shows that black plastic mulch obtained longer fruit length of 56.4 cm compared to the plot without black plastic mulch which has 22.5 cm. For weed height, plots with black plastic mulch obtained shorter length of 15.1 cm compared to the plot without plastic mulch which has 28.3 cm. For weed species, researchers identified 11 kind of species of weeds that grown in plot with black plastic mulch and plot without mulch and identify them. In terms of weed density, plots with black plastic mulch had lesser weed density compared to the plot without black plastic mulch. For the total yield, the plot with black plastic mulch have the highest total yield compared to plot without black plastic mulch. Marketable and non-marketable fruit was also obtained, plot with black plastic mulch have the highest marketable yield of 0.87 kg compared to control which only has 0.64 kg.

Based on the findings of the study, with the help of black plastic mulch, water, good management practice and vermicompost as fertilizer, the plot with black plastic mulch was effective in controlling the growth of weeds and increasing the yield of eggplant.