Vol. 12, Issue 7 (2023)

Author(s):
Vijay Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Permendra Singh, Brinder Singh, Bhav Kumar Sinha, Balbir Dhotra, Shalini Khajuria, Vishal Raina and Reetika Sharma

Abstract:
Scarcity of water is the major causes of lower productivity and decline of Kinnow mandarin orchards in subtropics. With a hypothesis that the combination of optimal amount of water and some antitranspirants application through trickle irrigation (TI) and foliar application (FA) could save substantial irrigation and transpiration loses of water comparative to that under alone trickle irrigation intervals and antitranspirants this study was conducted in Kinnow mandarin in sandy loam soil of north-west of India. This study involved two irrigation intervals (3 and 6day) under trickle irrigation system, with spraying by two antitranspirant substances (Kaolin 2% and 4% and magnesium carbonate (MgCO₃) 2% and 4), which subjected in a randomized block design with three replications. The analysis of plant leaf lesser concentration of major (N, P, K) and secondary (Ca and Mg) nutrients observed that control treatments. The total water content (TWC), leaf water deficit (LWD), total chlorophyll (TC) and Leaf area (LA) showed an increasing trend under two year investigation. The maximum fruit yield (20.20- 21.35 kg per tree) was recorded with 3 days intervals water supply by trickle irrigation with foliar spray of magnesium carbonate (4%) in treated plants.Generally, these results disclose that 3 days trickle irrigation intervals with Kaolin (4%) could endorse the necessary water pressure on ‘Kinnow’ mandarin plants of sandy loam soil of subtropical ecosystem enlightening their water productivity and fruit yield in water scarce situation.