Wahid, P AJayasree, Sankar SKAU2019-11-082019-11-081985http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810134936PGAn investigation on the root activity pattern of black pepper vine and allied aspects was conducted employing phosphorus-32. The results indicated that the active root zone of black pepper vine trailed either on erythrina or on teak pole is in a soil column of 30 cm radius around the vine. It is suggested that fertilizer application to pepper vines may be done in a semicircle of 30 cm radius facing the vine for the most effective utilization of the added nutrients. Growing the vine in association with erythrina as support was found to reduce the uptake of 32p by at least 20 per cent as compared to that grown on teak pole. The active root system of erythrina was found to be more extensive than the vine reaching upto 60 cm from the pepper plant. The absorption of 32p by the climbing roots of the vine was found to be insignificant. A method of leaf sampling for 32p assay in black pepper vine as well as a method of soil injection of 32p solution into root zone of crop plants was developed. Annual exhaust of nutrients by way of harvest of 1.284 kg dry pepper was found to be 38.5g N, 36.7 g K, 14.9 g Ca, 13.7 g Mg, 2.2 g P, 1.37 g S, 218 mg Fe, 155 mg Mn, 28 mg Zn and 47 mg of Cu. From the defoliation of erythrina, an annual recycling of 0.7 kg dry matter containing 25.7 g N, 0.94 g P, 6.5 g K, 20 g each of Ca and Mg, 0.8 g S, 131.4 mg Fe, 1008 mg Mn, 13 mg Zn and 14.2 mg Cu may be expected.ennullThesis