Response of chilli to drip irrigation on sandy clay loam soil under Madukkur soil series (Typic ustropept) in cauvery New Delta Zone

Abstract

In Tamil Nadu, one of the most important agro-climatic zone dictating the total rice production is by Cauvery Delta zone. In Cauvery Delta zone the area under rice cultivation has been reduced drastically and this situation forms the base for a paradigm shift from rice cultivation to alternate crops that requires less amount of irrigation water. Suitable alternate cropping pattern plays an important role in improving the purchasing power of farmer with the help of inclusion of commercial crops in rice based cropping system. Chilli is an important spice cum vegetable crop cultivated extensively in India. This project is indented to study the fertigation system in one of promising alternate crops in chillies in rice ecosystem. By keeping all these points in view, the present investigation was undertaken to study the response of chilli to drip irrigation on sandy clay loam soil under Madukkur soil series (Typic Ustropept) in cauvery new delta zone. Field experiment was conducted at Soil and Water Management Research Institute, Kattuthottam, Thanjavur financially supported by Department of Science and Technology under SERB programme with a budget outlay of Rs. 13.0 lakhs for three years during 2012-2015 in strip plot design with four replications. The results revealed that Sub surface drip fertigation at 10 cm depth recorded the maximum plant height, number of branches, number of flowers and number of fruits at B2 irrigation regime (IW/CPE = 0.75). Total green chillies yield was higher under sub surface drip fertigation @ 10 cm depth at IW/CPE=1 (15.59 t ha-1) followed by surface drip fertigation at IW/CPE = 0.75 (13.50 t ha-1) and sub surface drip fertigation @ 10 cm depth at IW/CPE = 0.75 (11.17 t ha-1).Thus, introduction of chillies as an alternate crop under sub surface drip fertigation @ 10 cm depth technology during January under Broad bed furrow method of cultivation paves the way for improving the social security to the rice farmers.