Drip irrigation and fertigation requirement of broccoli under mid hill conditions

Abstract

Water conserving irrigation technologies are used now a
days for economic and environmental sustainability of
commercial agriculture. An experiment was laid in randomized
block design to find out the effect of irrigation methods and
fertigation levels on broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica
L.) production during 2016-18. The treatments comprised
drip irrigation at three levels, viz. 100, 80 and 60% of the ETc
(i.e. DI100, DI80 and DI60) in conjunction with fertigation of
100, 85 and 70% of recommended dose of fertilizers with
black polyethylene mulch. Surface irrigation with basal
application of recommended dose of fertilizers without mulch
was taken as a control. The study indicated that irrigation
methods manipulated the moisture content of the soil
comprehensively and soil moisture was near to the field
capacity throughout the growth period in DI100 and DI80
with mulch, whereas, in conventional surface irrigation, the
soil moisture status varied from field capacity to deficient
status. Plant height, days to marketable head, weight of
central and secondary heads, available NPK, leaf NPK
content and total yield were observed to be significantly
affected by irrigation methods and levels of fertigation. Water
use efficiency varied from 4.95 q/ha/cm under surface
irrigation to 27.95 q/ha/cm under best treatment of drip
irrigation. Highest benefit cost ratio (2.63) was recorded with
the treatment combination of drip irrigation @ 60 % ETc
with 70 % recommended dose of fertilizer through fertigation