Effect of Microclimate Modulation on the Growth and Yield of Straw Mushroom as a Intercrop in Maize Field during Summer

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the summer season to study the effect of microclimate modification on growth and yield of paddy straw mushroom under outdoor cultivation as maize intercrop. A Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with eight treatments comprising the combination of spacing (60 x 25 cm, 45 x 25 cm, paired row 45/75 x 25 cm, and paired row 30/60 x 25 cm) and mulching (with or without application), in three replications was used for this study. The study concluded that maximum average yield was obtained in normal spacing 45x25 cm coupled with mulching (578 g bed-1) with high biological efficiency of 19.3 per cent. The results inferred that both the afternoon (14.22 hours) microclimate variables viz., temperature (low) and relative humidity (high) had played major role for higher yield and Biological Efficiency (BE) of paddy straw mushroom as maize intercrop. Normal row spacing (45 x 25 cm) with or without mulch and paired row spacing (30/60 x 25 cm) with mulch provided favourable microclimate during summer for faster growth, higher yield and biological efficiency for paddy straw mushroom intercropped maize which in turn might be adopted by the farmers for the outdoor cultivation of paddy straw mushroom.