Response of Split Application of Nutrients through Fertigation in Pigeonpea

Abstract

Background: Among the different production factors, irrigation and nutrient management are of immense importance in Pigeon pea cultivation. Drip irrigation can be considered as an efficient irrigation system to maintain optimum moisture content in the root zone. Split application of fertilizers at appropriate stages of crop growth ensure a regular flow of both water and nutrients resulting in increased growth rate and higher yield. Fertigation proposed as a means to increase efficient use of water and fertilizer to increase yield and sustained irrigated agriculture. The current study aims to study the efficacy of split application of N, P and K on growth, water and nutrient use efficiency, productivity and profitability of Pigeon pea.Methods: The field experiment was conducted at Department of Agronomy Farm, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola during three consecutive kharif season of 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design with four replications and eight treatments with an objective to study the efficacy of split application of nutrients on growth, water and nutrient use efficiency, productivity and profitability of Pigeon pea. Result: The results revealed that, all the growth parameters, yield attributes and grain yield of Pigeon pea were substantially enhanced by drip fertigation levels at 125:100:100 per cent recommended NPK than lower fertigation levels (75 and 100%) and over conventional soil application of recommended dose of NPK kg ha-1. Drip fertigation at 125:100:100 per cent recommended dose of NPK ha-1 recorded higher pigeon-pea pooled grain yield of 4053 kg ha-1. The maximum GMR (Rs.226807 ha-1), NMR (Rs.176604 ha-1), B:C ratio (4.52) and highest economic efficiency of Rs.883 day-1 ha-1.