Influence of growth, yield and quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.) by drip irrigation and fertigation

Abstract

A study was conducted during 2010-2015 at Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, to find out effect of irrigation and fertigation scheduling on growth, yield and quality of guava (Psidium guajava ). The ex-periments were laid out in factorial randomized block design with six treatment combinations which include three irrigation level (100, 80 and 60 %) along with two fertigation level (100 and 75 % water soluble fertilizers) and repli-cated thrice. The nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were applied through fertigation as well as soil ap-plication to test various attributes of five six old guava cv. L-49. The investigation indicated that the maximum plant height, Periphery of rootstock, yield per plant (kg/plant) and yield (t/ha) were higher under D1F1 (100 % irrigation with 100 % fertigation) followed by D2F1 (80 % irrigation with 100 % fertigation) and minimum under D3F2 (60 % irrigation with 75 % fertigation). Interaction effect was non-significant at 0.05 % level due to plant height (3.90 m) and Periphery of rootstock (26.26 cm) but significantly influenced by yield per plant (27.65 kg/plant) and yield (7.65 t/ha). Physico-chemical properties like fruit diameter (6.76 cm), fruit weight (182.10 g) and pulp weight (134.38 g) were significantly at 0.05 % due to different irrigation and fertigation level as well as interaction effects but fruit length (7.45 cm), TSS (13.22 %) and ascorbic acid (54.32 mg/100 g pulp) were non-significant due to different level of irri-gation and fertigation as well as interaction effect.