To determine the suitability of different mulching materials for improving the yield of potato, a field experiment was conducted from January 2020 to May 2020 at Kavrepalanchowk, Nepal. The experiment was carried out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five treatments including: T1: silver plastic mulch, T2: black plastic mulch, T3: perforated black plastic mulch, T4: straw mulch, and T5: Control, with four replications. The experiment revealed that the highest tuber yield was obtained in silver plastic mulch (42. 29tonne/ha) followed by perforated black plastic (41. 04tonne/ha), black plastic (39. 17tonne/ha), and straw (28. 54tonne/ha) mulches, and the lowest yield was obtained in the Control treatment (21. 46tonne/ha). Soil temperature was found to be influenced by the use of mulching materials with the highest soil temperature recorded under black plastic mulch, whereas the lowest soil temperature was detected under the Control treatment. The economic analysis of using different mulching materials showed the highest benefit/cost ratio by silver plastic mulch (3. 63); followed by perforated black plastic mulch (3. 53) and the lowest benefit/cost ratio was calculated for the Control (2. 60). The present study, therefore, depicted silver plastic mulch followed by perforated black plastic mulch as the most effective mulching material for improving production of potato.

Plastic mulch increased minimum temperature of soil, accelerated plant height, early growth, early yield, and bring satisfactory weed control without any application of herbicides. This experiment was laid out on three-factorial Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications during 2008-2010 at the National Rice Research Institute, Rasht, Iran using three kinds of mulches (Transparent and black PE and rice straw). Results showed that garlic total yield, bulb ash percent, TSS, vitamin C and flavonoids content were affected by mulching. Although mulching could improved some quality indices in garlic but no effect on forcing was observed. Due to two years experiment and interaction between year and mulches the usage of rice straw in rainy and cool season and plastic mulch in low rain fall and warm season recommended increasing garlic quality as second crop in rice field.