Journal of Horticultural Sciences

M. Prabhakar ¹, S. S. Hebbar ¹, A. K. Nair ¹

Affiliations
1 Division of Vegetable Crops, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hesaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore - 560 089, IN

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Bangalore during 2006-2008 to study the effect of fertigation on growth and yield of rabi-summer grown watermelon. Seven treatments comprising varying rates and sources of fertilizers were applied. Application of water soluble fertilizer @ 70:70:70kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O per hectare through fertigation gave significantly higher vine length, number of branches per plant and leaf area index. In general, fertigation treatments recorded higher values for number of fruits per plant, fruit weight and total soluble solids than conventional soilapplication of fertilizers. All the fertigation treatments recorded higher average marketable watermelon yield over conventional soil-application of fertilizers amounting to 7.22 to 26.4% increase. Among fertigation treatments, though recommended dose of fertilizer applied as water soluble fertilizer resulted in highest marketable-fruit yield, highest net income (Rs. 229775) and B:C ratio (3.03) was obtained in treatment with 70% of recommended dose of NPK using conventional fertilizers supplied through fertigation.

Keywords

Watermelon, Fertigation, Rabi, Summer, Growth, Yield, Economics.

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M. Prabhakar ¹, S. S. Hebbar ¹, A. K. Nair ¹

Affiliations
1 Division of Vegetable Crops, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessarghatta Lake Post, Bangalore-560089, IN

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during rabi 2005-2006 at Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, to study the performance of onion cv. Arka Niketan as influenced by microsprinkler fertigation using different sources and levels of fertilizers. Results indicated that crop growth in terms of leaf production, plant height, radial and equatorial diameter was not significantly influenced by the treatments. Fertigation treatments were superior for marketable bulb yield as compared to soil application of fertilizer. Also bulb yield through soil application of fertilizer increased by changing over from surface-irrigation to microsprinkler irrigation. However, bulb yield did not significantly decrease by applying just 75% of the recommended NPK fertilizers, using common or water soluble fertilizers supplied through fertigation. For achieving maximum yield, however, it is recommended to apply 100% recommended dose of fertilizers through sprinkler fertigation using water soluble fertilizers.

Keywords

Onion, Microsprinkler, Fertigation, Growth and Yield.

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D. Sreenivasa Murthy ¹, B. S. Prabhakar ², S. S. Hebbar ¹, V. Srinivas ³, M. Prabhakar ²

Affiliations
1 Section of Economics and Statistics, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hesarghatta Lake Post, Bangalore – 560 089, IN
2 Division of Vegetable Crops, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore 560 089, IN
3 Bangalore, IN

Abstract

Polyhouse cultivation of vegetables is emerging as a specialized production technology to overcome biotic and abiotic stresses and to break the seasonal barrier to production. It also ensures round the year production of highvalue vegetables, like capsicum, especially, during off-season. Cost is the major issue in sustaining this technology. The present study examined the economic viability of production of capsicum and tomato in a naturally ventilated polyhouse of medium cost category with drip irrigation system. Data were generated by cost accounting method for estimating the feasibility of production and was analyzed by using project evaluation methods, like Pay Back Period (PBP), Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR), Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). Cultivation of capsicum in a polyhouse was found to be highly feasible as reflected in higher values of NPV (Rs.3,23,145/500 m²), BCR (1.80) and IRR (53.7%) with payback period of less than two years. Breakeven price for capsicum production in a polyhouse (Rs.11.80/kg) was lesser than average wholesale price. Production of tomato in a polyhouse was found not feasible, as the breakeven price was more than the average market price and all the project appraisal parameters indicated that it was not feasible. Only at about 48% premium price over the prevailing market price or reduction of cost of polyhouse structure by 60% from Rs.400 to Rs.160 /m², could make the tomato production viable in a poly house.

Keywords

Capsicum, Economics, Polyhouse, Production, Tomato, Vegetables.

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G. Chandramohan Reddy ¹, S. S. Hebbar ¹, A. K. Nair ¹, H. B. Raghupathy ¹, A. P. Mallikarjuna Gowda ², K. Umesha ²

Affiliations
1 Division of Vegetable Crops, ICAR-IIHR Hessaraghatta, Bengaluru-560 089, Karnataka, IN
2 PG Centre, UHS Bagalkot, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, Karnataka, IN

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Bengaluru during 2015 to study the effect of fertigation on performance of hybrid chilli (Capsicum annuum L.). The trial included nine treatments comprising varying rates and sources of fertilizers, tested with or without mulching. Application of recommended dose of fertilizer (180:120:180 kg NPK/ha) through fertigation using water-soluble fertilizers resulted in higher values for plant height (104.27 cm), number of branches per plant (16.71), leaf area per plant (89.44 dm2), dry matter per plant (185.49 g), number of fruits per plant (142.7), fruit length (11.13 cm), fruit girth (4.75 cm), fruit weight (1.29 g), yield per plant (184.11 g) and fruit yield (5.03 t/ha) which remained on par with same amount of fertilizer applied using conventional means along with polyethylene mulching. In general, treatments that received fertilizers through fertigation took less number of days to flowering over conventional soil-application of fertilizers. All fertigation treatments recorded higher dry-chilli fruit yield over the conventional soil-application of fertilizers, to a tune of 27.87% to 52.4% over the control.

Keywords

Chilli, Fertigation, Water-Soluble Fertilizers, Mulching, Growth, Yield.

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