Effects of Different Organic Mulches on Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) Varieties in Enderta District, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Cultivation of cabbage in Ethiopia, particularly in Tigray is often constrained by poor soil moisture retention and weed competition, leading to reduced yields of the crop. Organic mulching has been recognized as an effective agronomic practice for improving soil conditions and crop performance with the current climate change impacts. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different organic mulching type on the yield and yield components of three cabbage varieties in Tigray. The experiment was arranged in a factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments consisted of four organic mulching types (control, sawdust, wheat straw, and grass) applied to three varieties of cabbage (Tana F1, Chaka F1, and Karibo F1). Data were collected on yield and yield component of cabbage, such as leaf length, leaf width, head size distribution, head weight, and total marketable and unmarketable yield. Results showed that majority of the parameters have significantly influenced by both variety and organic mulching types (P < 0.05). Tana F1 produced the highest marketable yield (177.3 t/ha) under grass mulch, followed by sawdust (170.9 t/ha) and wheat straw (154.1 t/ha). Chaka F1 shown a similar trend, producing the highest marketable yield under grass mulch (158.7 t/ha), whereas the lowest was under the control treatment (114.9 t/ha). Karibo F1 yielded the least marketable output across all mulch types, with (108.2 t/ha) under sawdust and the lowest under control (81.1 t/ha). The interaction between variety and organic mulching type was significant, indicating that optimal cabbage yield depends on the right combination of mulching type and variety. The highest soil moisture values were recorded under grass mulch with Tana F1 (38.70%) and sawdust mulch with Chaka F1 (38.66%), while the lowest values occurred in the control plots particularly with karibo (23.88%) . Treatments that maintained higher moisture tended to produce larger average head weight and higher marketable yield, improving head size distribution and head weight. Conversely, the lower soil moisture observed in the control plots particularly in Karibo F1 resulted in smaller heads. The correlation analysis demonstrated that head weight and head size distribution were the most influential traits governing yield performance. These outcomes provided strong evidence that selection for genotypes producing larger and heavier heads would enhance yield potential. In conclusion, applying grass mulch in Tana F1 enhances productivity and supports sustainable cabbage production. It is also recommended that further research experiment should be carried out across diverse agro-ecological zones and growing seasons to validate these findings under different climatic and soil conditions.