Effect of Drip Fertigation Scheduling on Fertilizer Use Efficiency, Leaf Nutrient Status, Yield and Quality of ‘Shweta’ Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Under Meadow Orcharding

Abstract

To find out the effect of drip fertigation scheduling on fertilizer use efficiency, leaf nutrient status, yield and quality of 3-year-old ‘Shweta’ guava (Psidium guajava L.) under meadow orcharding, 16 treatment combinations were tried. Treatments comprises with four irrigation [(basin (I0), 50 % (I1), 75 % (I2) and 100 % (I3) irrigation of irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation)] and four fertigation levels [basal dose (F0), 50 % (F1), 75 % (F2) and 100 % (F3) water soluble fertilizers]. The experiments were laid out in factorial randomized block design. Seventy five percentage irrigation of irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation through drip resulted in maximum yield with quality fruits, leaf nutrient status and fertilizer use efficiency with highest net return (Rs. 2,12,372.17). Use of 45, 20, 20 g NPK/plant/year produced fruit yield (29.81 t/ha), quality of fruits with maximum net return (Rs. 2,12,550.62). However, F1 (30, 10, 10 g NPK/plant/year) exhibited highest fertilizer use efficiency (101.97 kg/ha). Interaction effect of irrigation and fertigation levels showed that 75 % irrigation of irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation +75 % water soluble fertilizer produced maximum fruit yield (32.79 t/ha) with quality fruits and highest net returns (Rs. 2,44,073.07). However, maximum fertilizer use efficiency (103.23 kg/ha) was obtained in 75 % irrigation of irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation + 30, 10, 10 g NPK/plant/year water soluble fertilizer.