Sharma, Sanjay K.Mankotia, Shakshi2019-02-022019-02-022017-07http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810093313The present study was conducted at experimental farm of CSK HPKV, Palampur, during the year 2015-16 with the objectives of evaluating the effects of micro-irrigation and nutrient management on yield, quality and nutrient uptake by potato and to work out water productivity and economics of drip based irrigation and fertigation. Ten treatments comprising three drip irrigation levels viz., 0.4 PE, 0.6 PE and 0.8 PE corresponding to 40, 60 and 80 per cent of cumulative pan evaporation, respectively, three fertigation levels viz., 50 % RDF, 75 % RDF and 100 % RDF equivalent to 50, 75 and 100 per cent of recommended dose of NPK, respectively and RP i.e recommended practice (recommended dose of fertilizers through conventional methods and 6 flood irrigations of 50 mm each) were evaluated in a randomized block design. Potato (var. Kufri Jyoti) was sown on 21st December 2015. The results revealed that soil moisture, relative leaf water, sugar and starch contents and the quantity of large potatoes were higher at 0.8 PE in comparison to 0.4 PE. Drip irrigation levels did not have significant effect on tuber yield, NPK contents, crude protein content and TSS. Total NPK uptake by potato was influenced by irrigation levels but the differences between the higher irrigation levels of 0.6 PE and 0.8 PE were not significant. Fertigation level of 75 % RDF was statistically at par with 100 % RDF but significantly better than 50 % RDF with respect to yield, nutrients uptake and quality parameters. Fertigation level of 75 % RDF gave significantly higher marketable tuber yield (21.97 t ha-1) and it was 22 per cent higher than that obtained with 50 % RDF (18.01 t ha-1). No improvement in yield was obtained with 100 % RDF over 75 % RDF. Drip irrigation and fertigation was better than the recommended practice as combination of irrigation level of 0.6 PE and 75 % RDF recorded similar yield and better quality parameters, thereby saving 25 per cent of NPK. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) decreased with increase in irrigation levels whereas, fertigation levels increased it. The IWUE was significantly lower under the recommended practice (about 82 per cent lower in comparison to overall mean of the other treatments). The highest tuber yield (237 q ha-1), gross return (Rs. 285200 ha-1), net return (Rs. 153949 ha-1) and B:C ratio (2.17) were obtained by applying drip irrigation @ 60 per cent of cumulative pan evaporation (0.6 PE) and 75 per cent recommended dose of NPK (75% RDF). Soil pH and organic carbon were not affected by irrigation as well as fertigation levels. Available N, P and K in soil increased significantly by increasing fertigation levels but irrigation levels did not bring significant change in their contents.enThesis