Effect of Different Mulches on Pineapple (AnanasComosus (L.)Merr) Yield and Quality Traits in Southwest Ethiopia

Weeds affect the yield and quality of pineapple. In Ethiopia, there is insufficient scientific study on different weed management practices to improve the yield and quality of the fruit. To seal these gaps, the present study was designed to identify best mulch materials for yield and quality of pineapple in Southwest Ethiopia. Variety smooth cayenne treated with different mulch materials Soya bean straw, maize straw/stalk, black polythene/plastic, white/transparence polythene/plastic, vetiver grass, slashing/ frequent weed removal coffee husk and untreated (check) were evaluated using a randomized complete block design with three replications at Jimma, Metu and Gojeb sites. Data from weed biomass yield, fruit yield, quality traits and partial budget were collected for analyses.The result revealed that mean weed biomass and its percentage of control efficacy ranged from 1.2 kg to 7.8 kg with 35.2% to 84.5%. At Jimma the maximum WCE of 86.60% with minimum WBM of 1.2 kg were recorded under plot treated by black polythene. At Gojeb, plot with frequently slashed followed by black polythene treated provided the minimum weed biomass of 1k and 2.4 kg  with highest Percentage Weed Control Efficacy (PWCE) of 88.10 and 81.40 respectively. But at Metu, coffee husk treated plot showed the minimum weed biomass of 1.4 kg next to frequently slashed plot (1.2 kg) with percent weed control efficiency of 76.30% and 79.70% respectively. However, from the overall mean result, black polythene treated plot (1.8 kg) showed the minimum next to frequent slashing (1.2 kg). On the other hand yield obtained under these treatment detected that, in all yield and related attributes, black polythene treated plot showed the maximum of all followed by coffee husk mulched plot. Yield of 761.20, 551.79 and 643.13 Qt/ha for polythene treated and 622.30, 463.53 and 437.31 Qt/ha for coffee husk mulched plot at Jimma, Metu and Gojeb respectively. So, since the area is coffee based farming system, there is availabilityofcoffeehuskand the farmers who can’t afford the plastic polythene can use it as alternative means of mulch material.

Author(s): NeimSemanAbadura*, Tewodros Mulualem and Tadesse Eshetu

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