Effect of fertigation using low cost drip irrigation system on physicochemical characteristics in pomegranate cv. Bhagwa

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the favorite table fruit of tropical and subtropical region and belongs to family punicaceae. Irrigation and fertilizers are the most important inputs which directly affect the plant growth, development, yield and quality of produce. Application of irrigation water and fertilizers through drip are the most effective ways of supplying water and nutrients to the plant roots. Farmers generally irrigate the pomegranate through surface method of irrigation, which needs more water to irrigate the crop and huge quantity of water losses occur through leaching and evaporation. Similarly, farmers are using solid fertilizers for fruit crop production but these are not totally water soluble and hence are less available to plants and some of the fertilizers contain salts of sodium and chloride which not only affect the quality and quantity of crop production but they are also harmful to the soil. The drip irrigation method is an appropriate answer, particularly for horticultural and cash crops as it permit the irrigator to limit the watering as per water requirement of plants and optimum application of fertilizers through drip irrigation system. A large number of studies have been conducted on low cost drip irrigation system to study hydraulic parameters of lateral and micro tubes, productivity of different crops, performance, economics and suitability of system. However, the information regarding drip irrigation and fertigation scheduling in newly planted pomegranate under high density planting system is lacking. Keeping these in view the present experiment on “Effect of fertigation through low cost drip irrigation system on physico-chemical characteristics in pomegranate cv. Bhagwa” was carried out at Horticultural Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology Udaipur. The present study was conducted during 2009-10 on one year old pomegranate plants cv. Bhagwa growing under high density planting system (2 m × 2 m). Thirty two one-year-old plants were considered as experimental material and subjected to give various treatments. The experimental set up of drip and hand watering system was laid out as per the treatment. The experiment comprised of 8 treatment combinations consisting of fertigation levels (75, 100, 125 and 150% recommended dose of fertilizers) and irrigation methods (Hand watering and Drip irrigation). The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomize Block Design with 4 replications. Recommended dose of urea, single super phosphate and muriate of potash used were 100, 250 and 500 g per plant, respectively (Shukla et al., 7) and these conventional fertilizers were applied by ring method for plants which were irrigated through hand watering. In conventional method, full quantity of phosphorus and potassium and half quantity of nitrogen were applied just prior to the first irrigation. The remaining half quantity of nitrogen was given as top dressing one and half month after first dose. Fertilizers for drip irrigated plants were applied by water soluble fertilizers through drip irrigation system in six equal split doses at fifteen days interval. In drip irrigation system water was applied at one day interval and at weekly interval in case of hand watering. Pan evaporation method was used for estimating crop water requirement (Mane et al., 6).