Scheduling deficit irrigation with mulching for improving water productivity, yield and fruit quality in guava cv. VNR Bihi
Loading...
Date
2021-10
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
The present investigation was conducted at Horticulture Research Centre, Patharchatta of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand for two consecutive years (2019-20 and 2020-21) to study ‘Scheduling deficit irrigation with mulching for improving water productivity, yield and fruit quality in guava cv. VNR Bihi’. The treatments consisted of three levels of irrigation (100, 75 and 50% ETc) and four mulch types (silver-black, black, organic mulch and without mulch) analyzed in factorial randomized block design with three replications. The results depicted that maximum plant height, plant spread (E-W and N-S), canopy volume, stem girth and leaf area were recorded in plants irrigated with FI (full irrigation at 100% ETc) followed by DI75 (deficit irrigation at 75% ETc). However, yield parameters such as fruit number per plant, fruit weight and fruit yield per plant were recorded maximum in DI75 followed by FI. Fruit quality attributes such as total soluble solids, total sugars, reducing sugars, non reducing sugars, total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity decreased with increase in irrigation regime from DI50 to FI during both the years. Water use efficiency decreased with increase in irrigation regime from 50% ETc to 100% ETc. However, water productivity increased with increase in irrigation regime from 50% ETc to 100% ETc. The leaf nutrient (N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn) analysis showed that the highest concentration of the nutrients was registered with full irrigation followed by deficit irrigation at 75% ETc. The different mulch types i.e. silver-black, black and organic mulch (paddy straw) significantly influenced the growth, yield and fruit quality attributes of guava during both the years of study. The higher plant vegetative growth with maximum fruit number per plant, fruit weight, fruit yield per plant, fruit quality attributes and water use efficiency registered with silver-black mulch followed by black mulch. However, leaf nutrients (N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn), available soil NPK and soil microbial population were recorded maximum under organic mulch followed by silver-black mulch. Apart from that, the different mulches significantly reduced weed density and weed biomass of guava trees as compared with unmulched during both the years of experimentation. Thus, it can be concluded that application of deficit irrigation at 75% ETc along with silver-black mulch during fruit growth period had imposed desirable water stress on guava plants thereby improving water productivity, yield and quality. Therefore, it could be a better option for guava cultivation in tarai conditions of Uttarakhand, India.