WATER AND NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCIES FOR HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY IN HIGH DENSITY APPLE (Malus × domestica Borkh.)
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Date
2023-11-03
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study entitled “Water and nutrient use efficiencies for higher productivity in high density apple
(Malus × domestica Borkh.)” was carried out on 6 and 7 years old apple plants var. Super Chief grafted on rootstock
MM106, at a spacing of 2.5 × 2.0 m for two successive years 2020-21 and 2021-22 at the experimental farm of
Department of Soil Science and Water Management, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan
(H.P). Two field experiments were conducted simultaneously in same orchard wherein, different irrigation and
fertigation treatments were tried in triplicate in Randomised Block Design (Factorial). During first experiment,
different levels of irrigation and fertigation were applied and compared with conventional method (CI) with four irrigation
levels i.e. DI at 100 (IR1), 80 (IR2), 60 per cent ETc (IR3) and CI and four fertigation levels i.e. FN0 (Absolute control),
FN1 (100), FN2 (75) and FN3 (50) per cent of adhoc dose (NPK). During second experiment, three different levels of
surface irrigation i.e. CI1 (100), (80) and (60) per cent of ETc and four nutrient levels i.e. NU0 (Absolute control), NU1
(125), NU2 (100) and NU3 (75) per cent of adhoc dose (NPK). The results revealed that DI and fertigation level at 100 per
cent ETc with 100 per cent AD (NPK) significantly performed better results in terms of vegetative, cropping, quality
parameters and leaf nutrient content over conventional method of surface irrigation and soil fertilization. The vertical and
lateral distribution, of available NPK, NO3
- -N and NH4
+ -N under treatment T2 i.e. DI at 100 per cent ETc with 100 per
cent AD (NPK) was found to be uniformly distributed. In conventional experiment, these parameters performed better
under treatment 100 per cent ETc with 125 per cent AD (NPK) in second experiment. The seasonal water requirement for
Super Chief apple of 6 and 7 years old Super Chief apple plants under drip irrigation came out to be 20.69 and 23.68 cm,
with effective rainfall of 7.98 and 5.02 cm during first and second year. The requirement of irrigation during first and
second year was 12.71 and 18.66 cm, respectively, which can be met effectively by operating drip irrigation system at biweekly
intervals from mid-March to the first week of July. Fertigation in 15 splits of 100 per cent AD (NPK) dosage at g
tree-1 yr-1 (N:P2O5:K2O) resulted in higher apple productivity. This schedule may be preferred over conventional method of
irrigation and fertilization. But in the absence of drip irrigation system, however, conventional irrigation at 100 per cent
ETc with 125 per cent AD (NPK) may be followed to get higher productivity. The study suggested 82.47 per cent (80%)
of ETc and 87.75 per cent (90%) of AD (NPK) as optimum irrigation and fertigation levels, respectively for drip irrigation
and fertigation and 84.36 per cent (85%) of ETc and 111.20 per cent (110%) of AD (NPK), respectively for conventional
method of irrigation and nutrient levels. Thus, a saving of about 20 and 10 per cent in irrigation and fertilizer quantity,
respectively can be achieved by drip fertigation, besides improvement in yield and quality of apple