Impact of Fertigation Scheduling on Physiological and Root Attributes of Cotton under High Density Planting System

Author: Stesi S., Raju M., Pazhanivelan S., Ragunath K.P. and Selvakumar S.

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Abstract

Field experiments were carried out at Eastern Block Farm, Centre for Water and Geospatial Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during the winter and summer seasons (2022 - 2023) to evolve the optimum fertigation scheduling in high density cotton through Crop Growth Curve Nutrition Approach (CGCNA). The experiments were laid out in RBD and replicated thrice. The treatments comprises of different combination of NPK fertilizers levels (75% RDF, 100% RDF, 125% RDF) that are being supplied through fertigation in a definite ratio at the peak growth stages viz., seedling stage (10 % NPK), vegetative stage (20 % NPK), square formation (30 % NPK), 50 % flowering (20 %NPK), boll formation and boll development stages ((10% NPK) and its comparative study with drip and conventional irrigation practice with STCR based recommendations of fertilizer NPK and 100 % RDF NPK as soil application in the same split ratios (i.e., seedling stage (10 % NPK), vegetative stage (20 % NPK), square formation (30 % NPK), 50 % flowering (20 % NPK), boll formation and boll development stages (10% NPK)) to cotton planted under HDPS. The physiological attributes like leaf area index, crop growth rate and root attributes like root length, root dry weight and root volume were significantly influenced by the combination of different levels of fertilizer NPK, which were scheduled at the peak growth stages. Among the treatments the maximum leaf area index, crop growth rate and significantly highest values of root length, root dry weight and root volume were recorded with the fertigation of 125 % K with 100 % of N & P during both the seasons of study.

Keywords

Drip fertigation, STCR, HDPS, conventional irrigation, RDF, NPK

Conclusion

The results of the experiment revealed that the application of enhanced dose of fertilizers and fertigation scheduling at the peak growth stages in split ratios had a significant influence over the physiological and root attributes of cotton under HDPS during both winter and summer seasons of 2022-2023. Based on the research outcome, the fertigation of 125 % K with 100 % N and P (T9) though drip fertigation at the peak growth stages in splits ratios recorded maximum leaf area index (0.98, 2.95, 5.86, 5.94 , 2.83 and 0.97, 2.87, 5.25, 5.48, 2.62), crop growth rate (5.05, 9.87, 15.52, 0.97 g-1m-2 day-1 and 0.97, 4.83, 8.75, 15.35, 0.89 g-1m-2 day-1) and root attributes (39.9cm, 25.4g, 89.2cc and 38.4cm, 23.3g, 86.5cc) and the direct soil application of STCR based recommendation of fertilizers (T12) and 100 % RDF NPK (T13) were the where the conventional irrigation was practiced was found to be inferior as compared to the fertigation treatments during both the seasons of study.

References

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How to cite this article

Stesi S., Raju M., Pazhanivelan S., Ragunath K.P. and Selvakumar S. (2023). Impact of Fertigation Scheduling on Physiological and Root Attributes of Cotton under High Density Planting System. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(10): 120-124.