Irrigation and Fertigation Scheduling under Drip Irrigation in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) Crop Vijayakumar G.1,*, Tamilmani D.1, Selvaraj P. K.2 1Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (641 003), India 2SWCE, ADAC&RI, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India *Correspondence to E-mail: viji_beag@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 31 March, 2014. Abstract Field experiments were conducted (Field No. NC-17) at Agricultural Research Station, Bhavanisagar during 2007 and 2008 to maximize the water and fertilizer use efficiency in brinjal crop. The experiments were laid out in factorial randomized block design with nine treatments which included three irrigation levels 100, 75 and 50% of pan evaporation (PE) along with three fertigation levels, viz. 125, 100 and 75% of recommended N and K fertigation through drip irrigation and replicated thrice. In brinjal, higher yields (42.33 t ha−1 in I crop and 37.90 t ha−1 in II crop) were recorded in treatment drip irrigation at 75% of PE with fertigation of 75% of recommended N and K with maximum shoot length and number of branches plant−1. The highest water use efficiency of 111.5 kg ha−1 mm−1 and N, K use efficiency were recorded in drip irrigation at 75% of PE with fertigation of 75% of recommended N and K. The maximum benefit-cost ratio was noted in drip irrigation at 75% of PE with fertigation of 75% of recommended N and K (2.9 and 2.5, respectively) in both the years of study. Top Keywords Drip fertigation, water use efficiency, fertilizer use efficiency. Top |