Effects of Basal Application of Mulch and Foliar Spray of Sargassum wightii Extract on Certain Vegetable Crops

Kaladharan, P and Sathianandan, T V and Edison, Shoji Joy and Shahana, T S and Vysakhan, P (2019) Effects of Basal Application of Mulch and Foliar Spray of Sargassum wightii Extract on Certain Vegetable Crops. Fishery Technology, 56. pp. 44-48.

Abstract
A liquid fertilizer for foliar spray as well as a dry seaweed mulch for soil application have been prepared from Sargassum wightii and was evaluated on-farm for okra and cowpea in three farmers’ fields. Among the two crops tried, Cowpea responded better than Okra on basal application of Sargasssum mulch as well as foliar spray of its extract especially on the number of fruits per plant and wet weight of fruits. Mulching Sargassum powder to the base of okra and cowpea (T1) increased the root biomass significantly (p<0.05), 255% increase in organic carbon content in soil and 895% increase in soil microflora over the control. Foliar spray of Sargassum extract (T2) increased the number of leaves in both the crops and remarkably increased the number of pods, wet weight of pods and finally the yield in Cowpea than mulching (T1). In Okra foliar spray resulted a marginal increase only in wet weight of fruits. When the Sargassum mulch was mixed with two strains of bacteria (CMSS-1 and CMSS-4) associated with the decaying Sargassum thallus and later identified through 16s rRNA sequence analysis as Bacillus endophyticus with a similarity score of 98% and Bacillus infantis with a similarity score of 99%, the mulch became more effective and could assimilate in soil faster. Considerable increase in number and the fresh weight of fruits in Brinjal were also observed due to the value addition in the mulch.

Kaladharan P_2019_Fishery Technology_Sargassum wightii extract.pdf
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Eprints URL: http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/13374/

Item Type: Article