Vol. 10, Issue 12 (2021)

Author(s):
Sourabh Munnoli, Shashidhara GB, Alagundagi SC, Bidari BI and Meti CB

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted during 2019-20 and 2020-21 at Agricultural Research Station, Hukkeri (Dist. Belagavi, Karnataka) to evaluate the performance of adsali sugarcane under varied levels of drip fertigation. Experiment was laid in strip block design with three drip irrigation levels as vertical strip and three fertigation levels as horizontal strip along with two control treatments i.e., surface irrigation as per recommended package of practice and farmers’ practice under drip irrigation. Irrigation treatments included drip irrigation at 0.6 ET_o at germination + 0.85 ET_o at tillering + 1.0 ET_o at canopy establishment + 1.15 ET_o at grand growth + 0.85 ET_o at maturity stage (I₁), drip irrigation at 0.6 ET_o at germination + 1.0 ET_o at tillering + 1.5 ET_o at canopy establishment + 1.5 ET_o at grand growth + 0.85 ET_o at maturity stage (I₂) and drip irrigation at 0.8 ET_o at germination+ 1.0 ET_o at tillering + 1.75 ET_o at canopy establishment + 2.0 ET_o at grand growth +1.0 ET_o at maturity stage (I₃). Fertigation levels were viz., 100 per cent RDF (Recommended dose of fertilizer) (F₁), 150 per cent RDF (F₂) and 200 per cent RDF (F₃) along with two control treatments i.e., RPP and farmers’ practice. DI at 0.8 ET_o at germination + 1.0 ET_o at tillering + 1.75 ET_o at canopy establishment + 2.0 ET_o at grand growth +1.0 ET_o at maturity stage along with 150 per cent RDF through fertigation (I₃F₂) recorded significantly higher nutrient uptake (629.4, 96.5 and 552.4 kg N, P and K ha^-1, respectively) at harvest. Drip fertigation treatments recorded significantly higher nutrient uptake over the control treatments. Enhancement in the nutrient uptake was to the tune of 18.9, 24.9 and 21.4 per cent more N, P and K, respectively compared to RPP and 24.7,25.1 and 21.6 per cent more N, P and K, respectively compared to farmers’ practice.