Effect of frequency, methods and levels of fertigation on growth, yield and quality of green chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) crops
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Date
2007-02
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UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES GKVK, BENGALURU
Abstract
Field experiments were conducted on the red sandy loam soils of Agronomy field unit, MRS, UAS, Bangalore during 2006 and 2007 to study the effect of frequency, methods and levels of fertigation on growth, yield and quality of green chilli and tomato crops. In two field experiments, the treatments comprised of three levels of fertigation [daily (70 splits in green chilli and 77 splits in tomato), weekly (10 splits in green chilli and 11 splits in tomato) and fortnightly (5 splits both in green chilli and tomato) interval] and three methods of fertigation (surface, subsurface at 10 and 20 cm depth and furrow irrigation with soil application of fertilizers) in randomized complete block design with three replications. The fertilizer dose used was 125% RDF for both green chilli (187.5: 93.75:93.75 kg NPK ha-1) and tomato (250: 250:250 kg NPK ha-1) and method of planting followed was two rows paired system (45-90-45 cm x 30 cm).
The growth (plant height, leaf area and dry matter production) and yield parameters (mean fruit weight, number of fruits, and yield plant-1) were also recorded significantly higher in daily or weekly subsurface fertigation at 10 cm depth as compared to rest of the treatments. The fruit quality attributes like TSS (4.48 0Brix at 6th harvest) and ascorbic acid content (141.9 mg 100 g-1) in green chilli and TSS (4.86 0Brix at 6th harvest), ascorbic acid (21.33 mg 100 g-1), lycopene content (5.81 mg 100g-1) and fruit density (1.15 g cc-1) in tomato were significantly higher in daily subsurface fertigation at 10 cm depth and it was closely followed by weekly subsurface fertigation at 10 cm depth. The root growth characters like maximum root length and depth of penetration were noticed significantly higher in furrow irrigation soil application of fertilizers (T10 to T12 ) and these were recoded significantly lower in fertigation treatments (T1 to T9). While number of primary roots and root dry matter production were noticed maximum in daily subsurface fertigation at 10 cm depth.
In field experiment, daily drip irrigation with daily subsurface fertigation at 10 cm depth recorded significantly higher green chilli (T2: 16.09 t ha-1) and tomato fruit yield (T2: 123.96 t ha-1) which was on par with daily drip irrigation with weekly subsurface fertigation at 10 cm depth (T5:15.41 t ha-1 and 118.12 t ha-1, respectively).
The significantly higher B:C ratio (2.59 and 5.07, respectively) , water (24.3 and 127.6 kg ha-mm-1,respectively) and fertilizer use efficiency (42.9 and 165.3 kg kg-NPK ha-1, respectively) was noticed in daily drip irrigation with daily subsurface fertigation at 10 cm depth (T2) both in green chilli and tomato and was on par with daily drip irrigation with weekly subsurface fertigation at 10 cm depth(T5). The nutrient content and its uptake were also significantly higher in daily or weekly subsurface fertigation at 10 cm depth as compared to rest of the treatments
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