| Fertigation |
| Fertigation through drip being a recent technique of fertilizer application is becoming more popular because of the advantages it has got over other methods. |
 |
Fertigation in Red Gram |
|
- It increases the fertilizer use efficiency by reducing nutrient loss by volatilization, leaching and runoff.
- It reduces fertilizer requirement of crop by increasing nutrient availability.
- It is convenient and laobur saving.
Considering the nutrient uptake pattern of redgram at phenological growth phases, the fertigation schedule with water soluble fertilizers and conventional fertilizers were worked out and presented in the tables. |
| Water soluble fertilizers |
Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were applied through drip as per the fertigation schedule in the form of water soluble fertilizers viz., mono ammonium phosphate (12:61:0 NPK), urea (46 % N) and sulphate of potash (50 % K). |
| Conventional fertilizers |
| Conventional fertilizers like urea (46 % N), single super phosphate (16 % P2O5) and muriate of potash (60 % K2O) were applied through drip fertigation. Recommended full dose of phosphorus was applied as basal and N and K were applied through drip fertigation up to 140 days after sowing (DAS). The fertilizer solution was prepared by dissolving the required quantity of fertilizer with water in 1:5 ratio and injected into the irrigation system through ventury assembly. Fertigation was scheduled at 7 days interval. |
| Fertigation schedule for redgram at 100 % RDF through water soluble fertilizers |
| Stage |
Duration (Days) |
Application time
(DAS) |
Quantity of nutrients - fertilizer grade (kg ha-1) |
| Urea |
MAP |
SOP |
| Seedling |
1-30 |
10, 17 and 24 |
2.32 |
32.78 |
0 |
| Vegetative |
31-90 |
31, 38, 45, 52, 59, 66, 73, 80 and 87 |
9.87 |
24.58 |
12.50 |
| Flowering |
91-120 |
94, 101, 108 and 115 |
9.87 |
24.58 |
20.00 |
| Pod development |
121-140 |
122, 129 and 136 |
10.85 |
0 |
17.50 |
|
|
Total |
32.91 |
81.94 |
50.00 |
|
| Fertigation schedule for redgram at 100 % RDF through conventional fertilizers |
| Stage |
Duration (Days) |
Application time
(DAS) |
Quantity of nutrients - fertilizer grade (kg ha-1) |
| Urea |
MOP |
| Seedling |
1-30 |
10, 17 and 24 |
10.85 |
0 |
| Vegetative |
31-90 |
31, 38, 45, 52, 59, 66, 73, 80 and 87 |
16.28 |
10.38 |
| Flowering |
91-120 |
94, 101, 108 and 115 |
16.28 |
16.60 |
| Pod development |
121-140 |
122, 129 and 136 |
10.85 |
14.53 |
|
|
Total |
54.30 |
41.50 |
|
| Efficiency of fertilizers |
Nitrogen applied through drip fertigation appeared to favour fertilizer efficiency as compared to solid surface application. Uptake of fertilizer nitrogen was improved by supplying frequently through the drip irrigation system. Although nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency was nearly doubled by fertigating frequently for a week period, the improvement in fertilizer use efficiency was, however, not accompanied by a correspondingly significant increase in yield. |
| Effect of drip fertigation on agronomic efficiency and partial factor productivity |
| Treatments |
Agronomic efficiency (kg kg-1 nutrient applied) |
Partial factor productivity (kg kg-1 nutrient applied) |
| Drip fertigation with water soluble fertilizers |
15.9 |
25.7 |
| Drip fertigation with conventional fertilizers |
10.8 |
20.7 |
| Surface irrigation conventional fertilizers* |
8.7 |
18.5 |
CF*- a Conventional fertilizer all basal |
