Aerobic rice (Oryza sativa) cultivation under drip irrigation and fertigation system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the summer of 2019 and 2020 at the research field of (All Indian Coordinated Research Project on Water Management), Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, to assess the effect of drip irrigation and fertigation on aerobic rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivation. The experiment was laid out in strip-plot design, replicated thrice. The irrigation was scheduled once in 3 days at 120, 100, and 80% pan Evaporation (PE), and the fertigation of 100, 75 and 50% recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) was given weekly intervals from 15 days after sowing (DAS) to 70 DAS and the control of surface irrigation at an irrigation water: cumulative evaporation (IW : CPE) 1.25 with soil application of RDF (150 : 50 : 50 kg/NPK/ha) was separately maintained. The results of different irrigation and fertigation practices showed that, 120% PE × 100% RDF along with associated crop management had a significant effect on crop growth, yield and yield-contributing parameters and their values were significantly higher than all the other drip irrigation regimes and fertigation levels. This was mainly owing to continued availability of soil moisture and nutrients throughout the life period of aerobic rice, which led increased growth and yield parameters at the maximum level. Thus, 120% PE drip regimes and 100% RDF fertigation level proved better option in aerobic rice cultivation under drip irrigation and fertigation system in respect of yield and water saving.