Response of drip fertigation and its interval on nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency, water use efficiency and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

A field investigation entitled "Response of drip fertigation and its interval on nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency, water use efficiency and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)" was carried out at Department of Agronomy Farm, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola during the Rabi season of 2019-20. The experiment was laid out in Randomised Block Design with four replications and eight different irrigations and fertigation treatments imposed for wheat crop with an objective to study the nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency and water use efficiency through drip fertigation in wheat. The experimental site was established with inline drip irrigation system (16 mm) lateral laid out at 90 cm with 50 cm dripper spacing. Irrigation water was applied through drip irrigation system on every alternate day based on cumulative pan evaporation and surface irrigation water was applied at 1.0 IW/CPE ratio. Experiment results revealed that, in wheat crop the nutrients uptake was favourably increased with higher level of fertigation compared with lower levels and soil application method. During entire crop growth, higher uptake of N and K were observed at 100 per cent levels of N and K fertigation in 7 days interval which was at par with 100 per cent drip fertigation of RDNK in 14 days interval. Progressive increase in applied level of N and K correspondingly increased the nutrient uptake and lower uptake was noticed in conventional method of fertilizer application in surface irrigation. Water use efficiency was markedly improved by drip fertigation at higher level compared to conventional soil application and surface irrigation method. However, NUE showed increasing trend with increasing level of N and K, but lower NUE was observed in conventional method of fertilizer application. As a consequence of better nutrient uptake and WUE in treatment drip fertigation with 100 per cent RDNK in seven days interval recorded higher grain yield of 5653 kg ha -1 which was at par with 100 per cent drip fertigation of RDNK in fourteen days interval with grain yield of 5580 kg ha -1 . It could be concluded that application of 100 per cent RDNK in seven days interval found to be best and at par with 100 per cent RDNK in fourteen days interval for better uptake of nutrients, NUE, WUE and maximizing the wheat grain yield through fertigation.