Studies on plant growth in Acid lime under various mulching

The quality production of citrus fruits is highly dependent on the soil moisture availability. Water is one of the most important environmental factors regulating plant growth and development. The sensitivity of crop plants to water stress is acknowledged a major constraint in crop production. Citrus trees being hardy and evergreen require adequate soil moisture throughout the year for their proper growth. Inadequacy of water at critical stage of tree growth adversely affects the quality and productivity of lime. Mulching is known to play an important role in the conservation of soil moisture, during dry periods besides offering the advantages water runoff and soil erosion, improve water and fertilizer use efficiency. Mulching has also been found to promote the development of beneficial micro-organisms.Keeping in view, an attempt was done to study the effect of different mulching materials on plant growth, fruit yield, quality and soil health parameters of acid lime.