Study of Different Drip Irrigation and NK Fertigation Levels on Performance of Cauliflower

Abstract

A field experiment on cauliflower with different drip irrigation and NK fertigation levels was conducted at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana during rabi 2019-2020. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with nine treatments, comprising of three drip irrigation regimes viz., 0.6 Epan (I1), 0.8 Epan (I2) and 1.0 Epan (I3) as main plots and three drip NK fertigation levels of control (N0K0-F1), 50 % recommended dose of NK (N40 K50- F2) and 100 % recommended dose of NK (N80 K100- F3) as sub plots and replicated thrice. Growth and yield attributes were significantly higher at irrigation scheduled at 1.0 Epan. Plant height and yield attributes were comparable between 1.0 Epan and 0.8 Epan. Whereas plant height and dry matter production between 0.8 and 0.6 Epan were comparable. Drip irrigation scheduled at 1.0 Epan recorded significantly higher curd yield (18.7 t ha-1) than 0.8 Epan (17.1 t ha-1) and 0.6 Epan (15.0 t ha-1). NPK uptake were significantly higher in irrigation scheduled at 1.0 Epan than 0.8 and 0.6 Epan. All growth, yield attributes and NPK uptake at harvest increased significantly with increase in NK fertigation level from control to 100% recommended dose of NK. Drip fertigation at 100 % recommended dose of NK recorded significantly higher curd yield (23.8 t ha-1) than 50 % recommended dose of NK (19.7 t ha-1) and N0K0 (7.2 t ha-1). Application of 1.0 E Pan irrigation and 100% recommended dose of NK performed better than other treatments.