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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Crop Biology and Sustainability
Volume 8 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2024.1455206

Impact of Mulching Treatments on Growth, Yields and Economics of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Eastern Tanzania

Provisionally accepted
Ahamed M. Ramadhani Ahamed M. Ramadhani *Boniface H. Massawe Boniface H. Massawe Eliakira K. Nassary Eliakira K. Nassary Filbert B. Rwehumbiza Filbert B. Rwehumbiza Susan Nchimbi-Msolla Susan Nchimbi-Msolla
  • Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Mulching is a widely-used agricultural practice that can significantly affect crop growth, yield, and economic outcomes, particularly in regions with varying climatic conditions. The present study evaluated the influence of various mulching practices on the growth, yield, and economic viability of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivation in Tanzania. Across three sites in eastern agro-ecological zone, including Kipera (E4 200-1000 m.a.s.l.), Mgeta (E14 500-2000 m.a.s.l.), and Ndole (E2 500-1200 m.a.s.l.), four mulching treatmentspolythene mulch, synthetic biodegradable mulch, rice husk mulch, and a control groupwere applied to assess their effects on plant growth and yield components. Results revealed significant variations in growth parameters and yield components across sites. Notably, polythene mulch and synthetic biodegradable mulch consistently outperformed others, with polythene mulch resulting in an average plant height of 68.37 cm and synthetic biodegradable mulch at 68.26 cm, significantly (p < 0.05) taller than rice husk mulch (62.79 cm) and the control (57.74 cm). Similarly, these mulches led to increased ground coverage, with polythene mulch resulting in the highest canopy cover at 61.7%, followed closely by synthetic biodegradable mulch at 60.5%. Grain yields did not differ significantly between synthetic biodegradable mulch (2.64 t ha -1 ) and polythene mulch (2.67 t ha -1 ). Economic analysis indicated promising marginal returns and benefit-cost ratios for synthetic biodegradable mulch, with a marginal return (MR) of Tshs. 3,787,450 or USD 1,469) and a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 1.91, compared to polythene mulch (MR: Tshs 4,114,050 or USD 1,595, BCR: 2.06). These findings highlight the potential of synthetic biodegradable mulch as a sustainable and economically viable option for enhancing common bean production in diverse agro-ecological settings.

    Keywords: mulching practices, Phaseolus bean performance, economic analysis, Sustainable food production, Agro-ecological systems

    Received: 27 Jun 2024; Accepted: 12 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ramadhani, Massawe, Nassary, Rwehumbiza and Nchimbi-Msolla. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ahamed M. Ramadhani, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.