ISHS Acta Horticulturae 735: I International Guava Symposium
EFFECT OF DRIP IRRIGATION AND PLANT SPACING ON YIELD, QUALITY AND ECONOMIC RETURN OF GUAVA (PSIDIUM GUAJAVA L.) GROWN IN SALINE SOIL |
| Authors: | G. Mandal, S. Kumar, R. Kumar, R. Singh |
| Keywords: | guava, drip irrigation, plant spacing, yield, economic analysis |
| Abstract:
Field studies were conducted at research farm of CIPHET, Abohar to study the effect of drip irrigation system on yield, quality and economic return of guava production in saline soil having pH 8.18 and EC 0.95 mmhos cm-1. Newly planted orchard of guava cv. Allahabad Safeda, planted at 5 x 5 m and 6x6m in square system were selected for the experiment. Plants were irrigated with canal water using drip and flood irrigation systems. The results revealed that the drip irrigated guava plants started bearing at 3rd year of planting, whereas flood irrigated plants after fourth year of planting. The drip-irrigated planted guava at 6 x 6 m, produced 8.31 t ha-1 and 15.0 t ha-1, whereas at 5 x 5 m, 12.0 and 21.60 t ha-1 after 3rd and 4th year of planting. The guava plants planted at 5 x 5 m had higher irrigation production efficiency (6.79 kg m-3) than 6 x 6 m (4.70 kg m-3). Fruit weight (161.3 g) and TSS (11.7oB) and total sugars (10.71%) and vitamin C (211.40 mg 100 g-1 pulp) contents were superior in fruits obtained from drip-irrigated plants as compared to flood-irrigated ones. There was non-significant effect of spacing on quality parameters. However, plant spacing affected the installation cost of drip irrigation system and the annual production cost which varied between the years. The highest production cost (Rs. 68,764 ha-1), net profit (Rs. 82,346 ha-1) as well as cost benefit ratio (2.20) were higher at 5 x 5 m distance. The results indicated that the drip irrigation has a significant role in increasing productivity as well as economic return of guava in saline soil at the planting distance of 5 x 5 m plant spacing. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
