EFFECTS OF MULCHING ON SOIL PROPERTIES, GROWTH AND YIELD OF PLANTAIN ON A TROPICAL ULTISOL IN SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA

The effects of five different mulches (elephant grass, plastic, elephant grass on plastic, plastic on elephant grass and woodshavings) on soil properties and on growth and yield of plantain (Musa sp. cv. AAB) were compared on an ultisol in southeastern Nigeria. In general, organic mulches (elephant grass and woodshavings) maintained more favorable physical and chemical soil properties than synthetic (plastic) mulch or the unmulched treatment. At the 5 cm depth, the mean monthly maximum soil temperature was lowest under woodshavings and the soil water suction within a row was lowest under the elephant grass mulch, while water infiltrability was highest under the woodshavings mulch. Mulching significantly enhanced vegetative growth and increased bunch yield in both first and second year crops. Increase in total yield (first and second year crops) was on average about 4 1 % higher with mulched treatments than with the control. Among the mulched treatments, total yield was highest with the elephant grass on plastic treatment. The yield of the second year crop was on average about 57% lower than that of the first year crop. Total bunch yield (in tonnes per hectare) and soil exchangeable potassium (in milliequivalents per 100 g) were significantly correlated.