Effect of fertigation on growth and yield on Chilli hybrid Arka Meghana

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of fertigation on chilli F1 Hybrid Arka Meghana during kharif of 2017 and 2018, with ten treatments, including different doses, sources of fertilizers and its frequency of application, in randomized block design with three replications. The pooled analysis revealed that application of fertilizer dose (125:100:125 kg N: P2O5: K2O ha-1) through fertigation on bi-weekly basis resulted in higher plant height (76.3 cm) at 80 days after transplanting, which was on par with the same dose and source applied at weekly interval (74.0 cm). These two treatments recorded higher fruit length (12.63 and 12.27 cm), number of fruits per plant (153.33 and 169.67) and dry weight of 10 fruits (9.00 and 8.63 g), respectively. All the fertigation treatments recorded higher yields over the conventional soil application of fertilizers to the tune of 14.84 to 61.55%. Among the fertigation treatments, application of 100% of fertilizer dose using water soluble fertilizers at bi-weekly interval resulted in significantly higher yield (32.44 t ha-1) compared to all treatments except the treatment where the weekly application of same dose of fertilizer through the same sources (31.81 t ha-1) and 75% of 125:100:125 kg N: P2O5: K2O ha-1 was applied weekly or bi-weekly intervals (29.23 and 30.01 t ha-1). Biweekly and weekly application of 100% fertilizer dose of 125:100:125 kg N: P2O5: K2O ha-1 through fertigation could yield maximum net income (Rs. 400151 and Rs. 387551 ha-1) with B: C (1.61 and 1.56). However, fertilizer applied to soil resulted in minimum net income of Rs.183054 ha-1 and B: C (0.84).