S1- RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR INCREASING WATER USE EFFICIENCY

Project Title:ENHANCED WATER USE EFFICIENY UNDER DRIP FERTIGATION IN NENDRAN BANANA

Contributor: Dr. N. Asoka Raja Professor and Head Department of Agronomy TNAU Coimbatore

Email: nasokaraja@yahoo.com

India – Banana production is 30.8 million tonnes in 2012-13

Production Statistics

Introduction

Present Market Trend

Tamil Nadu Banana output doubles in 4 years

As of now, there is steady increase of retail price in market

Objectives

1. To optimize the fertilizer dose with WSF by drip irrigation (DF)2. To assess the yield and quality of Banana by fertigation 3. To compare the WUE and FUE under DF over conventional methods of

irrigation and fertilization.4. To assess the economics of DF over conventional method

Technical programme

T1- Drip fertigation with WSF at 125% dose once in 2 days

T2- Drip fertigation with WSF at 100% dose once in 2 days

T3- Drip fertigation with WSF at 75% dose once in 2 days

T4- Drip irrigation + Soil application of NF at 100% dose once in 2 days

T5- Conventional irrigation at 1.0 IW/CPE + soil application of NF (Control) at 100% dose

Experimental detailsDetails Drip Furrow1. Variety Nendran Nendran2. Planting Normal Normal3. Spacing 2 x 2 m 2 x 2 m4. Plot size 40 x 6 m 40 x 6 m5. Lateral spacing 2 m -6. No. of laterals 1 lateral for each row -7. Emitter spacing 8 lph 2m -8. Fertilizer used WSF:

Polyfeed (PF) 11:42:11 Urea - 46:0.0 Potash - 0:0:60 Multi - K 13:0:46

Normal NPK fertilizer dose at 150: 90: 300 g/plant / year

9.Fertilizer application frequency

Once in 2 days N and K 3 equal splits at 3, 5, 7th month after planting entire ‘P’ as basal

10. Fertilizer application method

By fertigation pump By soil application

11. Irrigation scheduling Once in 2 days At 1.0 IW/CPE12. Depth of irrigation Based on 2 days CPE At 50 mm CPE for

1.0 IW/CPE ratio

Table1. Number of fingers / bunch, number of hands / bunch and finger weight as influenced by drip fertigation

Fig 1. Relationship between fruit yield and yield parameters under drip fertigation in banana

Table 2. Finger weight and bunch weight in Nendran Banana as influenced by drip fertigation

Table 3. Effect of drip fertigation on water saving in Banana

Fig 2. Trend of water requirement, fruit yield and water use efficiency under drip fertigation in banana

Fig 3. Fruit yield versus fertilizer use efficiency under fertigation in banana

Conclusion • Drip fertigation with WSF at 125% achieved more than two-fold inceased

WUE.

• Bunch yields of banana increased by 72 percent under drip fertigation with WSF.

• Water saving was 48 percent with higher fertilizer and water use efficiency compared to surface irrigation.

• DF is economically viable technology in TC Banana.

• Considering the economics, affordable farmers can go upto 125%dose with WSF in Nendran Banana for overall higher fruit yield and gross returns,

• While farmers with resource constraints, can adopt 75% dose with WSF for economic returns.

General view of the experimental field

DF with 125% water soluble fertilizer