Performance of Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana lamk.) Varieties under Two Irrigation Scheduling of Saline Water in Central Gujarat Conditions in India

Abstract

The field experimentation was carried out at Instructional Farm, BAIF Development Research Foundation, Nanodara of Ahmadabad district during 2014 to 2018 with an objective to evaluate the response of the two ber varieties (Seb and Gola) to number of irrigations on the growth and yield of ber crop. It was also intended to understand effect of saline irrigation water on soil status as irrigation water of the study location is slightly saline in nature. The study was conducted in Split Plot Design with six replications. Treatments consisted of two irrigation schedule; normal irrigation at 15 days interval and life saving irrigation at 30 days interval and two varieties (Seb and Gola). Soil and irrigation water of the study location was analyzed using standard procedures for initial and yearly status, respectively. Two ways ANOVA was carried out using R Studio Statistics Rx 64 software. Significance levels were tested at p≤0.05. The highest plant height (326.87 cm), girth size (60.75 cm), number of secondary branches per plant (7.24), dry leaf biomass per plant (3.96 kg), dry shoot weight per plant (16.65) as well as fruits per plant (337.58), fruit weight (56.96 g), fruit yield per plant (19.43 kg) and fruit yield per ha (5400 kg) were increased significantly with normal irrigation treatment (irrigations at 15 days interval) which was significantly superior over life saving irrigation. In case of varieties, all the parameters of the growth and yield of the crop were maximum for Gola variety compared to Seb. The pH, EC and SAR were comparatively lower in soil under life saving than normal irrigation.