Plastic Mulch’s Effect on Cauliflower Yield and Yield-attributing Traits in Protected Structures in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand

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Background: Cauliflower, cultivated for its curd, an immature inflorescence, is a temperature-sensitive crop. Due to its need for very specific weather patterns for both the transition from vegetative to curd initiation phase and the growth of curd, this crop is highly susceptible to climate change. Due to the plant’s sensitivity to environmental conditions, an experiment was conducted in the mid-hills of the western Himalayas during the rabi season of 2020/21 to assess the impacts of different plastic mulching on yield and its yield-attributing features under polycarbonate. Methods: The experiment included three separate runs and was set up in a randomized block design. Cauliflowers of the ‘’Amazing’’ type were subjected to five different treatments (T1: black polythene mulch, T2: red polythene mulch, T3: silver polythene mulch, T4: yellow polythene mulch and T5: control). Result: Red polythene mulch was the most efficient method of enhancing yield and yield-related traits.