Effects of mulching materials on the growth and yield of shallots (Allium ascolonicum L.) in Hue city, Vietnam

Shallots are an economically and nutritionally important bulb crop in Vietnam with strong potential to enhance and diversify farmer income in Huong Tra Town, Hue City. Despite favourable soil water and climatic conditions, optimised cultivation practices, particularly the selection of suitable mulching materials, remain inadequately studied for local shallot production. Therefore, evaluating the effects of different mulching materials, including reused agricultural by-products, on shallot growth and yield is essential for improving productivity and sustainability in Central Vietnam. To further evaluate, a study was conducted during the spring season of 2024 at the GREEN LIFE Farm, Huong Tra Town, Central Vietnam. The study comprised five mulching practices, including no mulching as control, and mulching with buckwheat stems, rice husks, peanut shells and beach sand. The experiment was laid out in a randomised complete block design with three replications. Each plot measured ten square meters with uniform spacing and a standard planting density. The results from this study revealed that rice husk (T3) was the most effective mulching material for shallot cultivation, resulting in superior growth and yield performance, including higher plant height (45.2 ± 1.3 cm), greater number of leaves per plant (8.6 ± 0.4), lower pest and disease incidence (6.3%), and higher bulb yield (18.4 ± 0.6 t/ha ) compared to other treatments.