TITLE:
Potential Impact of Spacing and Fertilizer Levels on the Flowering, Productivity and Economic Viability of Hybrid Bhendi (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) under Drip Fertigation System
AUTHORS:
Govindarasu Rajaraman, Lakshmanan Pugalendhi
KEYWORDS:
Flowering; Pod Yield; Economics; Fertilizers; Spacing; Bhendi Hybrid
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.4 No.9,
August
29,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Drip irrigation provides an efficient method of fertilizer delivery and
allows precise timing and uniform distribution of applied nutrients. Fertilizer
application through drip irrigation (fertigation) can reduce fertilizer usage
and minimize groundwater pollution due to fertilizer leaching from excessive
irrigation. For this purpose, field experiments were carried out in the farmers’ field at Thoppur,
Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu, during 2010-2012 to study the effect of spacing and fertilizer
levels on the flowering, pod yield and economic viability of Bhendi Hybrid (Abelmoschus
esculentus L. Moench) under drip fertigation system. The treatments consisted of two spacings (M1—60 × 45 cm and M2— 60 × 30 cm) and eight drip fertigation levels
(S1—Drip fertigation with WSF at 125 per cent RDF
+ Azophosmet + Humic acid, S2—Drip fertigation with WSF at 100 per cent RDF + Azophosmet + Humic acid,
S3—Drip fertigation
with WSF at 75 per cent RDF + Azophosmet + Humic acid, S4—Drip fertigation with WSF at 100 per cent RDF,
S5—Drip fertigation
with SF at 125 per cent RDF + Azophosmet + Humic acid, S6—Drip fertigation with SF at 100 per cent RDF
+ Azophosmet + Humic acid, S7—Drip fertigation with SF at 75 per cent RDF + Azophosmet + Humic acid, S8—Drip fertigation with SF at 100 per cent RDF), and were replicated thrice in a split plot design. Results
showed that the earliest flowering (26.21 days), 50% flowering
(51.31), number of flowers per plant (25.33) and highest pod yield of 596.70 g/plant, 24.91 t/ha was registered in drip fertigation at 100 per cent
recommended dose of fertilizers as water soluble fertilizer combination with
Azophosmet and humic acid under wider spacing. The economics of the study
clearly showed that drip fertigation at 100 per cent recommended dose of
fertilizers as water soluble fertilizer along with Azophosmet and humic acid
under wider spacing was found to record higher BCR of 2.99.