PERFORMANCE OF NUTRIENT SOURCES AND ITS LEVELS ON HYBRID BHENDI UNDER DRIP FERTIGATION SYSTEM

摘要

Field experiment was carried out at AICRP- Water Management block, AgriculturalrnCollege and Research Institute, Madurai during Kharif 2009 to study the effect of driprnfertigation on growth, yield, quality and economics of hybrid bhendi (M-10). Therernwere eight treatments replicated four times in Randomized Block Design. All therngrowth and yield parameters were substantially enhanced by drip fertigationrntreatments compared to surface irrigation with soil application of recommended dosernof fertilizers. Drip fertigation of 100 per cent RDF as water soluble fertilizers (WSF)rnexhibited better plant height, number of branches, days taken for first flowering, rootrncharacteristics and dry matter production. As a consequence of better growth, yieldrnattributing characters like number of pods per plant, pod length, pod girth and podrnweight were increased under drip fertigation of 100 per cent RDF as WSF. Further,rnevery increment in the level of nutrients by fertigation from 50 to 100 per centrnrecommended dose of fertilizers brought out corresponding increase in the abovernparameters. Drip fertigation of 100 per cent RDF as WSF registered significantlyrnhigher pod yield which amounted to 65 per cent yield increase over surface irrigationrnwith soil application of recommended dose of fertilizersrnThe hybrid bhendi quality parameters viz., crude protein, mucilage and ascorbic acidrncontents were significantly increased with increasing fertigation levels. Significantlyrnlower crude fibre was noticed in the treatment with drip fertigation of 100 per centrnRDF as WSF. The fertilizer dose with drip fertigation of 100 per cent RDF as WSFrnresulted in higher plant nutrient uptake and availability of soil nutrients at variousrngrowth stages of crop growth owing to easily available form of applied nutrients.rnFurther, drip fertigation integrated with liquid biofertilizers and humic acid createdrnfavourable condition for multiplication of beneficial microorganisms in the rhizospherernregion.rnThe nutrient mobility study revealed that fertigation treatments maintained higherrnconcentration of available N and K around root zone of bhendi compared to surfacernirrigation with soil application of recommended dose of fertilizers where most of thernnutrients moved to deeper layer due to leaching fraction of applied fertilizers.rnFertigation of P at various levels also resulted in more available P at all soil layersrncompared to soil application of fertilizers. The resource use efficiency parameter viz.,rnpartial factor productivity declined with increasing levels of fertigation. The water usernefficiency was higher under drip fertigation of 100 per cent RDF as WSF. Though the.