Effect of Different Mulches on the Biometric Performance of Cucumber Crop under Polyhouse

The present study entitled “Effect of different mulches on the biometric performance of cucumber crop under polyhouse” was conducted during summer, 2019 at polyhouse, College of Agricultural Engineering, Kandi. Sangareddy, Telangana. Treatments consisted of five different mulches (White transparent, Black and silver, Black, Organic (paddy straw) and without mulch). The experiment was laid out in a randomized block with four replications. Growth parameters visually vine length and the number of leaves plant-1 differed significantly with different mulches and cucumber without mulch gave significantly higher growth parameters, followed by black and silver, black, white transparent whereas significantly lower growth parameters were recorded with organic mulch. The yield attributes visually the number of fruits plant-1, fruit length and fruit circumferences were significantly superior with cucumber without mulch whereas significantly lower yield attributes were observed in organic mulch. Fruit yield ha-1 was significantly higher with cucumber without mulch. Organic mulch recorded significantly lower fruit yield ha-1. Gross and net returns were higher with cucumber without mulch whereas significantly lower gross and net returns were observed in organic mulch. The highest benefit-cost ratio was observed with cucumber without mulch whereas the lowest benefit-cost ratio was observed with white transparent mulch. The study has shown that cucumber can be grown without any mulch during the summer season under polyhouse at Central Telangana Zone of Telangana.