EFFECT OF DRIP IRRIGATION ON SOIL PLANT WATER DYNAMICS NUTRIENT USE AND PRODUCTIVITY OF CAPSICUM AND BROCCOLI UNDER VARYING NPK FERTIGATION IN AN ACID ALFISOL

Abstract

newline In Hilly areas, the judicious use of the available water resources through drip irrigation under open and protected conditions becomes necessary to enhance the yield, nutrient and water use efficiency. Field experiments were conducted during 2013-14 and 2014-15 at experimental farm, CSK HPKV, Palampur to evaluate the effect of drip irrigation levels applied at 40 and 80 per cent CPE and NPK fertigation levels on soil water retention, plant water, water use efficiency, productivity, nutrient uptake and nutrient use efficiency of capsicum under open and protected conditions and broccoli under open conditions. The treatments comprised of (a) Two drip irrigation levels viz., I0.4 Drip at 40 per cent Cumulative pan evaporation (CPE) and I0.8 Drip at 80 percent CPE (b) Four fertigation levels viz., F50 50 per cent recommended dose of fertilizer, F100 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizer, F150 150 per cent recommended dose of fertilizer and F200 200 per cent recommended dose of fertilizer (c) Farmer s practice - FYM at 1 kg m-2 + 10 g m-2 IFFCO (basal) + 2 g L-1 of 19:19:19 at 15 days intervals and drip irrigation applied at the rate 2 L m-2 daily and (d) Recommended Practice (control) 100 per cent NPK(by conventional method) + drip irrigation at 100 per cent CPE. Results indicated that the soil water content increased with increase in drip irrigation level from I0.4 to I0.8 with more profile water depletion in I0.4 as compared to I0.8 due to less quantity of water applied. Under fertigation treatments, the plant height and number of leaves, root length, volume and weight were significantly higher with F200 over other F100 and F50 under open as well as protected conditions leading to higher marketable yields, water use efficiency, NPK nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency and higher B.C ratio in capsicum as well as broccoli. The study concluded that drip irrigation at 0.4 CPE led to saving of water by 50 per cent over 0.8 CPE and increasing fertigation from 50 to 200 per cent RDF significantly increased the marketable yield, N, P and K uptake and Nutrient Use Efficiency in both the crops under open and protected conditions.