Effect of Irrigation Frequency and Mulching Materials on Soil Properties, Growth and Yield of French Beans under Drylands: Rwamagana-Nyirabidibili case

24 Oct
Posted on Author Neha Rai

Effect of Irrigation Frequency and Mulching Materials on Soil Properties, Growth and Yield of French Beans under Drylands: Rwamagana-Nyirabidibili case/span>

Authors- Bimenyimana Isaac, Dr. Adrien Turamyenyirijuru, Dr. Hamoud Rukangantambara, Rose Niyonkuru

Abstract-The study examined the effect of irrigation frequency and mulching materials on French beans’ soil properties, growth, and yield using a randomized block design with three blocks consisted of sixteen plots per block. Different Mulching materials and irrigation intervals were used and once watered as planned, 30mm of water (≈38.4 liters per plot) was added. After harvesting, soil samples were collected at 20cm depth and analyzed. On soil properties, the soil texture was sandy clay loam, and irrigation frequency, mulching material, and interaction did not significantly affect texture, aggregate stability, soil pH, CEC and Organic matter. The soil pH ranged between 5.1-5.5which is slightly acidic the soil CEC ranged between 40.2 to 51.7Cmol/kg, and organic matter ranged between 3.43 and 4.47% which is moderately mummified. The impact of irrigation frequency and mulching material on plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, number of pods, length of pod and pod width while the interaction become not significant with an increase from 6.32-31cm in 15 days after sawing, 7.77-33.11 cm after 21days of sawing and 9.21-41.56 cm after 40 days of sawing in plant height, with an increase from 4.67-10 leaves within 32 days after sawing and 6.56-12.56 leaves after 50 days of sawing in number of leaves with an increase from 4.11-10.89 cm at 21 day of sawing and 6.56-12.56 cm after 36 days of sawing in leaf length and an increase in pods number from 7.33-36.22 pods after 67 days of sawing, 5.50-14.67cm in pods length after 68 days of sawing and 1.33-2.71cm in pods width (diameter) after 65 days of sawing. Mulching material significantly affected the yield of French beans, with irrigation frequency having a significant impact and the interaction effect of irrigation frequency and mulching material significantly affect yield of French beans with an increase from 1.52-10.61 T/Ha. Therefore the Rwandan savanna region is largely plagued by drought, which can be mitigated through mulching and improved water usage efficiency.

DOI: /10.61463/ijset.vol.12.issue5.272