Bindhu, J SGreeshma, UKAU2024-10-262024-10-262021-11-19175302https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810215906The experiment entitled “Wicking bed irrigation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum (L).)” was conducted with the objectives to standardize the height and media filled reservoir in wicking bed system, to evaluate the performance of tomato as a test crop under wicking bed (WB) system and to work out the economics. The experiment was carried out from December 2020 to April 2021 in farmer’s field at Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design with 8 treatments replicated thrice. The treatments were T1 – gravel WB 100mm + geotextile inter liner (GT) + soil bed (SB) 200 mm; T2 - gravel WB 150mm + GT + SB 300 mm; T3 - coconut shell WB 100 mm + GT + SB 200 mm; T4 - coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm; T5 - gravel + coconut shell (1:1) WB 100 mm + GT + SB 200 mm; T6 - gravel + coconut shell (1:1) WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm; T7 - SB 200 mm conventional irrigation; T8 – SB 300 mm conventional irrigation. Soil bed was prepared by mixing soil, coir pith compost and FYM in the ratio 2:1:1. Nutrition was provided as per the organic POP of KAU. Tomato seedlings of variety Vellayani Vijai was used for transplanting. After transplanting, all treatments were surface irrigated for two weeks. Irrigation was given in the wicking bed based on the water level in the reservoir. The growth characters viz., plant height, number of branches, stem girth and leaf area were recorded at 30, 60, 90 days after transplanting (DAT) and at harvest. At 30 DAT and 60 DAT, taller plants (59.32, 93.25 cm, respectively) were observed in coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm (T4) and at 90 DAT and at harvest gravel + coconut shell (1:1) WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm (T6) recorded the taller plants. Number of primary branches per plant were higher in the treatment coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm (T4) in all the growth stages. Stem girth was not influenced by the wicking bed and surface irrigation treatments except at 60 DAT. At 60 DAT, stem 136 girth recorded in all the treatments were on par, except soil bed 200 mm with conventional irrigation (T7). Leaf area was not influenced during early stages of growth. Higher leaf area (797 cm2 ) was observed for T2 at 90 DAT and at harvest (768 cm2 ). Coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm (T4) recorded higher dry matter, root weight and root volume. The longest roots (17.30 cm) were recorded in gravel WB 150mm + GT + SB 300 mm (T2). Flower clusters per plant was significantly more in T2 (31.67) which was on par with T1, T5 and T6. Coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm (T4) recorded higher number of flowers per cluster (10.67). The treatments, coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm (T4) and gravel + coconut shell (1:1) WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm (T6) took less number of days (37.83) to reach 50 per cent flowering. Fruits were longer (4.35 cm) in T3 and fruit diameter was higher (11.63 cm) in T6. T4 (coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm) recorded more fruit weight (41.50 g) and remained statistically on par with T2 and T6. The analysed data revealed that higher yield per plant (1153 g) and more number of pickings were recorded in T4 which was on par with T2. Harvest index was higher in larger reservoir depths. Significantly higher (20.64 mg 100 g fruit-1 ) ascorbic acid content was recorded in T4 and T5. Total soluble sugars and titrable acidity were not influenced by wicking and surface irrigation treatments. Soil pH, organic carbon, P and K content were not influenced by wicking bed and surface irrigation treatments. Bulk density was higher (1.31 Mg m-3 ) in gravel + coconut shell (1:1) WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm (T6) which was on par with T3 and T5. Surface irrigation treatments (T7 and T8) recorded lower EC value (0.86 and 0.95 dS m-1 , respectively). Available nitrogen content was significantly higher in T4 (coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm) and was comparable with T1 and T5. Plant uptake of N and P was higher in T4 (coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm) and K uptake was higher (10.18 g per plant) in T2 (gravel WB 150mm + GT + SB 300 mm) which was on par with T4. 137 Water requirement of tomato varied with the treatments ranging from 480.06 mm (T4) to 568.22 mm (T7). The frequency of irrigation varied from 9 in larger reservoir depth to 35 in surface irrigation treatments. T4 recorded the lowest water requirement (480.06 mm) and the highest total water use efficiency (65.05 kg ha-1 mm-1 ). The economic analysis revealed that T4 (coconut shell WB 150 mm + GT + SB 300 mm) recorded the highest net returns per plant (₹ 46.23) and BCR of 2.00. From the study, it could be concluded that, tomato can be successfully cultivated in wicking bed system. Among the wicking beds, coconut shell filled reservoir of 150 mm depth + geotextile inter liner + 300 mm soil bed depth could be recommended for tomato cultivation considering the yield, quality, water use efficiency and economics.EnglishThesis