EFFECT OF MULCHING DRIP IRRIGATION AND FERTIGATION ON GROWTH YIELD AND QUALITY OF NERIUM Nerium oleander L

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the Effect of mulching, drip newlineirrigation and fertigation on growth, yield and quality of Nerium (Nerium oleander newlineL.) at Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam during the year 2016- newline2020. The experiment consisted 27 treatments with three types of mulching (black newlinepolythene mulch, coir mulch and without mulch), three levels of drip irrigation (75, 100 newlineand 125 % WRc through drip irrigation) and three levels of fertigation (75, 100 and 125 newline% RDF through fertigation) and their combinations. The experiment was laid out in split newlinesplit plot design with three replications. Observation on growth, yield and physiological newlineparameters were recorded. newlineThe study revealed that the treatment combination M1I2F3(Black polythene mulch + newline100 % WRc through drip irrigation + 125 % RDF through fertigation) had improved the newlinemorphological characters viz., plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of primary, newlinesecondary, tertiary branches, leaf length and width, inter nodal length and plant spread at pre newlineflowering and flowering stages. The treatment combination M1I2F3 reduced number of days newlinefor first inflorescence emergence and number of days to first flower opening. The same newlinetreatment produced highest number of inflorescence per plant, flowers per inflorescence, newlineflower weight, length and diameter of flower bud, flower yield per plant and per hectare. newlineThe physiological parameters viz., chlorophyll content (spad value), leaf area, newlinetotal phenol content, dry matter production were analysed and found significantly newlineincreased in the treatment M1I2F3 (Black polythene mulch + 100 % WRc through drip newlineirrigation + 125 % RDF through fertigation). The same treatment was also expressed newlinehigher value for soil available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and leaf nitrogen, newlinephosphorus and potassium content. newlineThe treatment M1I2F3(Black polythene mulch + 100 % WRc through drip irrigation + newline125 % RDF through fertigation) had expressed low weed count, higher weed control newlineefficiency and weed index a