Influence of fertigation on Mrig Bahar guava (Psidium guajava L.) var. Arka Amulya under high density planting system

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during 2018-19 at Precision Farming Development Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha to find out the effect of fertigation scheduling on vegetative and reproductive growth behaviour of guava var. Arka Amulya under eastern coastal plain zone of India. Three levels of fertilizer dose (100%, 80%, 60% RDF) in combination with three levels of fertigation frequency (monthly, bimonthly, quarterly) and control as 100% RDF in soil application was evaluated employing Factorial Randomized Block Design and replicated thrice. The result of the investigation revealed that both the vegetative and reproductive characters were significantly influenced by use of different fertilizer dozes at different frequencies. Among the treatment combination 100% RDF at monthly interval resulted in maximum vegetative growth, viz. plant girth (0.90 cm), canopy volume (7.79 m 3 ), leaf area (50.42 cm 2 ), number of tertiary shoots (58.25), tertiary shoot girth (2.16 cm) and number of leaves per tertiary shoots (18.00) while canopy volume, leaf area, girth of primary branch and tertiary shoot remain statistically at par with 80% RDF at monthly fertigation. Also the maximum tertiary shoot length (16cm) was observed in 80% RDF at monthly interval. Similarly the reproductive characters like number of reproductive shoots (31.50), number of flowers (14.81), fruit set (79.49%) and fruit retention (45.60%) were highest in 80% RDF at monthly interval. Therefore, considering the positive effect on plant, 80% RDF at monthly interval is considered to be the best from economic point of view.