Impact of Mulch and Irrigation Schedules on Yield and Quality of Spring Sunflower in Tarai Region of Northern India

The field experiment was carried out at Forage Block, Instructional Dairy Farm, Nagla, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) in spring 2019 to, study the effect of mulches and irrigation schedules on productivity and water use efficiency of spring sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Mollisols of Uttarakhand (India). The experiment consisted of 03 levels of mulches i.e., control (no mulch), straw mulch @ 6t/ha and polythene mulch (black) in the main plot and 04 levels of irrigation schedules i.e., critical stages (button, flowering, and seed filling stage), 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 IW/CPE ratios in subplots, was laid out in split-plot design with three replications. Under the application of polythene mulch, significant seed output was observed that was statistically comparable to straw mulch. Under polythene mulch, seed yield was found to be 4.6% and 18.5% greater than under straw mulch and control, respectively. The polythene mulch produced significantly higher stover yield that was non-significant with straw mulch Polythene mulch produced 8.10% and 10.4 % higher stover than straw mulch and control, respectively. Sunflower seed yield differed significantly among irrigation schedules. Irrigation applied at 1.2 IW/CPE produced significantly the highest seed yield that was 5.4, 11.1, and 14.8% greater than irrigation scheduled at 1.0, 0.8 IW/CPE, and critical stages, respectively. Among the irrigation schedules, stover yield was recorded 5.8, 8.0, and 10.8% higher under the 1.2 IW/CPE ratio than 1.0, 0.8 IW/CPE ratio, and critical stages, respectively. Overall, it is highlighted that polythene mulch gives significantly higher productivity and quality parameters. 1.2 IW/CPE ratios give significantly the highest seed yield, higher protein content and oil content.