Effect of fertigation on stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) under drip irrigation

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Directorate of Water Management, Bhubaneswar (Odisha) during rabi seasons of 2005-06 and 2006-07 to study the effect of drip irrigation regimes and fertigation levels on stevia (Stevia rebaudiana, Bertoni), grown in rice fallow. The treatments included three irrigation regimes (I - drip irriga- 1 tion at 100% PE, I at 80% PE and I at 60% PE) and three fertility levels (F -100%, F 75% and F - 50% recom- 2 3 1 2 3 mended dose of 110-45-45 kg N-P O -K O/ha) with an extra treatment as control having surface irrigation with soil 2 5 2 application of fertilizers were tested in a factorial randomized block design with three replications. Pooled data of two years showed that drip fertigation improved fresh leaf by 4.9 %, dry leaf by 4.0 % and total biomass yield by 2.04 % over conventional surface irrigation with soil application of fertilizer. Irrigation through drip at 100% PE pro- duced maximum fresh leaf (8.95 t/ha), dry leaf (2.74 t/ha) and total biomass yield (34.44 t/ha). Application of 100% RD (F ) gave highest quantity of fresh leaf (8.21 t/ha), dry leaf (2.53 t/ha) and biomass (33.50 t/ha) compared to 1 75% RD and 50% RD. Application of irrigation at 100% PE with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer produced 9.13 t of fresh leaf 2.90 t dry leaf and 35.0 t biomass yield per hectare and; improved glycoside contents. However, the magnitude of N, P and K contents in both soils and plants have also been enhanced with 100% fertilizer appli- cation of N, P O and K O (110-45-45 kg/ha) compared to lower levels. 2 5 2