Tafraliang, 14 September 2026: Er. Ugarsain Sangwan, Subject Matter Specialist (Soil and Water Conservation Engineering), ICAR–Krishi Vigyan Kendra Anjaw, visited the farm of Smt. Ajimlu Bellai at Tafraliang today to monitor the performance of an ongoing mulching trial in King Chilli under gravity-fed drip irrigation.
        The crop has entered the harvesting stage, and approximately 4–5 kg of King Chilli has been harvested during the initial picking. Around 70–80 fruits per plant were observed on well-performing plants. Among the treatments, plastic mulching recorded the best yield performance, while straw mulching also produced encouraging results compared with the crop grown without mulch.
        During the visit, yellowing of leaves was noticed in a few plants. The SMS examined the affected plants and advised Smt Ajimlu Bellai on proper irrigation management, balanced nutrient application, field sanitation and regular crop monitoring. He also emphasized avoiding excessive moisture around the root zone and taking timely corrective measures after identifying the exact cause of leaf yellowing.
        All three treatments—plastic mulch, straw mulch and no mulch—are being evaluated under a gravity-fed drip-irrigation system. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of different mulching materials in conserving soil moisture, suppressing weeds, improving crop growth and enhancing the yield of King Chilli under the conditions of Anjaw district.