Effect of different irrigation and fertigation levels on yield and nutrient use efficiency in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) cv. Phule Mosambi

Abstract

Water and nutrient use efficiency are primary requirements for optimum and sustained citrus productivity. The interactive effect of irrigation and fertigation levels on growth and yield of 10-year-old sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) cv. Phule Mosambi was studied through a field experiment during 2017 and 2018 at Research Farm of AICRP on Fruits, Department of Horticulture, MPKV Rahuri. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with nine treatment combinations, comprising three irrigation levels (100%, 80% and 60% of daily crop evapo-transpiration), three fertigation levels (100%, 80% and 60% RDF based NPK doses through water soluble fertilizers) and control with surface irrigation and band placement of conventional fertilizers (SI+BPF) replicated thrice. The yield parameters such as no. of fruits tree-1, yield in kg tree-1 and partial factor productivity of nutrients were observed to be significantly highest in the treatment T1-I1F1 having irrigation at 100% ETc and fertigation at 100% RD through WSF than rest of the treatments however they were statistically at par with the treatment T5- I2F2 comprising irrigation at 80% of ETc and fertigation with 80% of RD with WSF during 2017, 2018 and in pooled results. The nutrient use efficiency parameters like nitrogen use efficiency, phosphorus use efficiency and potassium use efficiency were observed to be significantly higher in the treatment T3-I1F3 having irrigation at 100% ETc and fertigation at 60% RD through WSF which was statistically at par with the treatment T5- I2F2 comprising irrigation at 80% of ETc and fertigation with 80% of RD with WSF during 2018 and in pooled results. The sustained productivity of sweet orange with highest nutrient use efficiency can be achieved with irrigation scheduled at 80% ETc along with fertigation technology at 80% RDF especially under scarcity conditions of Western Maharashtra.