Response of spring season grown okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) to drip irrigation and fertigation

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2015 and 2016 on loamy sand soil to study the effect of drip irrigation and fertigation as compared to surface furrow irrigation on the fruit yield, water use efficiency of Okra (Abelsmoschus esculentus var Punjab 8).The treatments comprised of three levels of drip irrigation in combination with three levels of fertigation and surface furrow irrigation was considered as control treatment. The results showed that best drip fertgation treatment I3F2 (2015) and I2F3 (2016) recorded 27.0 and 24.3 per cent higher fruit yield as compared to conventional furrow irrigated crop. The averaged values of water use efficiency was enhanced from 26.1 kg ha-1mm-1 under control plot to 42.2 kg ha-1mm-1 under I3 and 52.8 kg ha-1mm-1 under I2 irrigation treatment.The maximum water use efficiency of 60.4 kg ha-1mm-1was obtained under I1 (0.6 ETc) which gave same fruit yield as under conventional furrow irrigated crop and saved irrigation water to the extent of 55.4 percent as compared to control plot. The net returns obtained under drip fertigation were higher to the extent of 25.6 per cent as compared to furrow irrigated control plot.