A Study on Use of Black Polythene Mulch as a Climate Smart Technology on Performance of Winter Cucumber and Resource Conservation In Terai Agro-climatic Zone of West Bengal

Though cucumber is mainly grown during pre-kharifand kharif season, but farmers of Teesta flood plains of Terai region prefer to grow this very crop during rabi season because of its high market demand and price during this period of year. This region experiences extreme cold during January and February, when maximum and minimum temperature falls below 22°C and 8°C respectively, average being around 13°C. As a result fruit setting and development is badly affected in cucumber. In order to cope with this problem of low temperature following study was conducted at Khagribari village (Latitude - 26.3504°N, Longitude - 89.4435°E) of Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, India during 2015-16 and 2016-17 under a National Network Project entitled ‘National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)’ to assess effect of black polythene mulch on winter cucumber and on resource conservation with active participation of fourteen innovative and receptive farmers each having plot size of 0.13 ha. Performance of black polythene mulch was studied against conventional practice of growing winter cucumber without any mulch. Observations were taken on yield and yield attributing parameters of winter cucumber- like days taken to flower, flower drop percentage, fruiting period; net profit, soil temperature, irrigation water requirement etc. Two independent sample t- test were performed to compare two treatments for all parameters. Resulted showed that significantly higher yield (29.1 t/ha) and net return (Rs. 108100/ha) was obtained under black polythene mulch over conventional practice (26.2 t/ha and Rs. 80700/ha) as fruiting advanced by 5 days, fruiting period expanded by 20 days and fruit drop reduced to the extent of 10% due to higher night soil temperature and lesser fluctuation between day and night soil temperature under poly-mulching as against that of plots without mulch. The treatment also marked significant effect in conserving ground water and fuel by cutting down irrigation water requirement and diesel consumption in the tune of 5.38 ha-cm and 18.70 L/ha, respectively. Lower air pollution was also recorded due to 48.62 kg lower emission of CO2 from irrigation pump during irrigation of 1 hectare area.