Vol. 12, Special Issue 9 (2023)

Author(s):
Sushama Londhe, Shailendra Gadge and Dhanashree Patil

Abstract:
An experiment on okra crop was carried out at the Instructional Farm, Dr. A. S. College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri during February, 2022 to June, 2022. The field experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replications. The main plot treatment consisted of drip irrigation @ 120 per cent ETc, 100 per cent ETc, 80 per cent ETc, 60 per cent ETc and 40 per cent ETc and sub-treatment consisted of treatments with mulch and without mulch. The total numbers of treatment were ten and replicated thrice. The study indicated that the growth parameters of okra viz., plant height (158.02 cm) at 90 DAS, days to 50 per cent flowering (32.33 days), root depth (47.55 cm) and the yield contributing character viz., fruit diameter (1.79 cm), fruit length (12.19 cm) and average fruit weight (13.28 g) were maximum for drip irrigation with 100 per cent ETc with plastic mulch. Also 100 per cent irrigation with plastic mulch gave maximum yield (17.54 q ha^-1) than other treatments. The highest water use efficiency (36.83 kg ha^-1cm^-1) was obtained in treatment with drip irrigation @ 60 per cent ETc with silver- black plastic mulch. The benefit cost ratio was maximum (1.79) in treatment with drip irrigation @ 100 per cent ETc with silver black plastic mulch while minimum benefit cost ratio (0.47) was observed in treatment with drip irrigation @ 40 per cent ETc. without mulch. Finally, the study revealed that the summer plantation of okra crop with drip irrigation @ 100 per cent of ETc along with silver-black plastic mulch is beneficial under semi-arid conditions of Rahuri, District Ahmednagar of Maharashtra state for economical production of summer okra under mulching practices.