Mulching, a widely employed agricultural practice, has been recognized for its influence on soil moisture retention, temperature regulation, and weed suppression, thereby improving growth and yield of crops. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of mulching materials on growth and yield attributes of summer squash under water constraint condition during March to May 2023 in Chitwan, Nepal. The experiment was laid in single factor Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four different mulches (rice straw, wheat straw, rice husk and silver on black plastic mulch 30 microns) and control replicated 4 times. All the Plant growth parameters, including plant height, number of leaves per plant and plant spread, were highest in silver plastic mulch and the poorest in the un-mulched plots. Mulching also significantly influenced floral characters, with plastic mulch demonstrating superiority in traits such as days to flowering, number of flowers per plant, and sex ratio compared to organic mulches and the control. Fruit length, diameter, and weight exhibited the highest values under plastic mulch and the lowest values under the control, while all organic mulches showed similar results. The highest yield of 41.44 Mt ha-1 was achieved with silver plastic mulch, highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing crop productivity, while the lowest yield of 11.77 Mt ha-1 was recorded in the control plots. Despite its higher cost, silver pastic mulch exhibited highest net return and benefit-cost ratio. Rice husk mulch, with the second highest benefit-cost ratio and relatively low cost of production, emerged as promising alternative. Although mulching did not notably affect the soil pH, the varying soil organic matter percentages were observed, with the highest on rice straw mulch and the lowest on silver plastic mulch. The study suggests that while plastic mulch can significantly boost productivity during water scarcity, rice husk mulch offers a cost-effective alternative with substantial economic benefit.

Se evaluó la resistencia a Prodiplosis longifila Gagné en tres accesiones silvestres de Solanum habrochaites var. glabratum (PI-134417, PI-134418 y PI-126449) y los materiales avanzados en mejoramiento genético para resistencia al pasador del fruto Neoleucinodes elegantalis: tres genotipos de retrocruzamiento 3: RC3(3143P4, 3247P4, 36110P3) y un genotipo de retrocruzamiento 4: RC4(4212P4), como testigo susceptible se incluyó la variedad Solanum lycopersicum cv. Unapal-Maravilla. Las evaluaciones se realizaron en condiciones de campo y de casa de malla, utilizando un diseño de bloques completos al azar con cuatro repeticiones. Se evaluó el número de brotes sanos/planta, número de brotes con daño por P. longifila, número de brotes con presencia de larvas vivas y muertas del insecto, y número de larvas vivas o muertas por brote. Durante el experimento en campo las poblaciones de P. longifila fueron 0.2 larvas vivas/brote y 4.17% de daño, lo cual no permitió el establecimiento de diferencias entre los genotipos estudiados. En casa de malla, las poblaciones del insecto fueron elevadas, sin embargo las accesiones silvestres no mostraron daño ni fueron preferidas para la oviposición, presentando algún grado de resistencia. Unapal-Maravilla y los genotipos correspondientes a la RC3, fueron susceptibles al insecto. El genotipo 4212P4 mostró el menor daño de las poblaciones segregantes con solo 5.36% de brotes dañados, siendo considerado como de menor preferencia por el insecto plaga. Los genotipos provenientes de retrocruzamientos evaluados en estos ensayos fueron previamente seleccionados por resistencia a N. elegantalis, y en este procedimiento es posible que hayan podido descartarse genotipos con resistencia a P. longifila. | Resistance was evaluated Prodiplosis longifila Gagné in three wild accessions Solanum habrochaites var. glabratum (PI134417, PI134418 and PI 126449) and advanced materials in breeding for resistance to fruit borer Neoleucinodes elegantalis: three genotypes of three backcross RC3 (3143P4, 3247P4, 36110P3) and four backcross genotype RC4 (4212P4) as susceptible check variety S. lycopersicum cv. Unapal-Maravilla. Evaluations were performed under field conditions and screen house, using a completely randomized design with four replications. Number of healthy/plant, number of shoots sprout damage was assessed with P. longifila, number of shoots with the presence of live and dead and number of living and dead larvae larvae per shoot. During the experiment field populations of P. longifila were 0.2 live larvae/shoot and 4.17 % damage, which prevented the establishment of differences between the genotypes studied. In screen house, insect populations were high, however wild accessions showed no damage, nor were preferred for oviposition, showing some degree of resistance. Unapal-Maravilla and genotypes corresponding to the RC³, were susceptible to insect. 4212P4 genotype showed the least damage of segregating populations with only 5.36% of shoots damaged, regarded as less preferred by the insect pest. Genotypes from backcrosses evaluated in these trials had previous selection toward resistance N. elegantalis, and in this process they may have been discarded genotypes with resistance to P. longifila.

Resistance was evaluated Prodiplosis longifila Gagné in three wild accessions Solanum habrochaites var. glabratum ( PI134417 , PI134418 and PI 126449 ) and advanced materials in breeding for resistance to fruit borer Neoleucinodes elegantalis : three genotypes of three backcross RC3 ( 3143P4 , 3247P4 , 36110P3 ) and four backcross genotype RC4 (4212P4 ) as susceptible check variety S. lycopersicum cv. Unapal - Maravilla.  Evaluations were performed under field conditions and screen house, using a completely randomized design with four replications. Number of healthy / plant, number of shoots sprout damage was assessed with P. longifila , number of shoots with the presence of live and dead and number of living and dead larvae larvae per shoot . During the experiment field populations of P. longifila were 0.2 live larvae / shoot and 4.17 % damage, which prevented the establishment of differences between the genotypes studied. In screen house, insect populations were high, however wild accessions showed no damage, nor were preferred for oviposition , showing some degree of resistance . Unapal - Maravilla and genotypes corresponding to the RC3, were susceptible to insect. 4212P4 genotype showed the least damage of segregating populations with only 5.36% of shoots damaged, regarded as less preferred by the insect pest. Genotypes from backcrosses evaluated in these trials had previous selection toward resistance N. elegantalis, and in this process they may have been discarded genotypes with resistance to P. longifila . | Se evaluó la resistencia a Prodiplosis longifila Gagné en tres accesiones silvestres de Solanum habrochai-tes var. glabratum (PI-134417, PI-134418 y PI-126449) y los materiales avanzados en mejoramiento genéti-co para resistencia al pasador del fruto Neoleucinodes elegantalis: tres genotipos de retrocruzamiento 3: RC3(3143P4, 3247P4, 36110P3) y un genotipo de retrocruzamiento 4: RC4(4212P4), como testigo susceptible se incluyó la variedad Solanum lycopersicum cv. Unapal-Maravilla. Las evaluaciones se realizaron en condiciones de campo y de casa de malla, utilizando un diseño de bloques completos al azar con cuatro repeticiones. Se evaluó el número de brotes sanos/planta, número de brotes con daño por P. longifila, número de brotes con presencia de larvas vivas y muertas del insecto, y número de larvas vivas o muertas por brote. Durante el experimento en campo las poblaciones de P. longifila fueron 0.2 larvas vivas/brote y 4.17% de daño, lo cual no permitió el establecimiento de diferencias entre los genotipos estudiados. En casa de malla, las poblaciones del insecto fueron elevadas,sin embargo las accesiones silvestres no mostraron daño ni fueron preferidas para la oviposición, presentando algún grado de resistencia. Unapal-Maravilla y los genotipos correspondientes a la RC3, fueron susceptibles al insecto. El genotipo 4212P4 mostró el menor daño de las poblaciones segregantes con solo 5.36% de brotes dañados, siendo considerado como de menor preferencia por el insecto plaga. Los genotipos provenientes de retrocruzamientos evaluados en estos ensayos fueron previamente seleccionad por resistencia a N. elegantalis, y en este procedimiento es posible que hayan podido descartarse genotipos con resistencia a P. longifila.