Narendra Kumar Ahirwar, Ravindra Singh
An investigation consisting of thirty demonstrations was carried out to examine the ‹Impact of Polythene Mulching on Moisture Retention, Weed Management, Tomato Yield, and Related Economic Factors› within the cluster villages of Kiwlajhir region in the Badi block, Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh. These studies were part of the Agromaxx Industry under the agriculture sustainability project from 2018 to 2023. The soil in these areas was identified as black loamy in texture, with neutral pH and normal electrical conductivity. It was found to be low in organic carbon and available nitrogen, yet high in available phosphorus and potassium. The tomato hybrid employed for this study was Rasika., Notably, the requirement for irrigation and weed density were considerably reduced under conditions of polythene mulching, as compared to scenarios without mulching. The implementation of polythene mulching along with drip irrigation considerably increased the quantity of fruits per plant (34.52), individual fruit weight (76.42gm), and fruit yield (67164kg/ ha), relative to the conventional farming practices. From an economic perspective, the gross returns (Rs.397300 per ha), net returns (Rs.225198 per ha), and benefit-cost ratio (1.54) were substantially higher for the demonstrations utilizing polythene mulching compared to the traditional farming practices.