Effects of pan evaporation-based drip irrigation levels on performance of guava grown in Udaipur and Rewa regions of India

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted for three years (2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22) on 4 years old guava orchard established at 3×2 m spacing with drip irrigation treatments at two locations viz. Udaipur Rajasthan and, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. Plant growth, yield contributing parameters, fruit yield and water use efficiency was significantly affected by different pan evaporation-based drip irrigation levels (70, 80, 90 & 100% of Epan) over local control. In existing climatic conditions of Udaipur and Rewa regions, the daily irrigation water requirement of high-density planting guava tree was varied from 7.8 to 26.3 and 4.5 to 26.5 liter/plant/day, respectively. Among all the pan evaporation-based drip irrigation levels, the irrigation supplied at 80% and 90% of daily pan evaporation were found as best approach for irrigating high density plantation (HDP) guava orchard through drip irrigation in Udaipur & Rewa regions with maximum fruit yield (37.3 & 30.7tha-1), irrigation water use efficiency (0.359 & 0.263tha-1-cm) along with significant water saving (29.2 & 22.2%), respectively over local control. Results will help farmers, policy makers and irrigation managers to conserve available fresh water resources in water scares regions of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.