Effect of drip irrigation and fertigation on plant growth parameters, productivity and nutrient use efficiency of capsicum in wet temperate zone of Himachal Pradesh

The study was conducted during 2013 and 2014 at experimental farm of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh to evaluate the effect of drip irrigation and NPK fertigation levels on nutrient use efficiency and productivity of capsicum. The treatments comprised two drip irrigation levels viz I_0.4[Drip at 40% cumulative pan evaporation (CPE)] and I_0.8(Drip at 80% CPE); four fertigation levels viz F₅₀[50% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF)], F₁₀₀(100% RDF), F₁₅₀(150 RDF) and F₂₀₀(200% RDF); farmers’ practice [FYM @ 1 kg/m² + 10 g/m² IFFCO (basal) + 2 g/l of 19: 19: 19 at 15 days interval and drip irrigation applied at the rate of 2 l/m² daily] and control [100% NPK (by conventional method) + drip irrigation at 100% CPE]. Results indicated that under fertigation treatments the plant height, number of leaves, root length, volume and weight were significantly higher with F₂₀₀ over other treatments leading to higher marketable yields. Irrigation treatments did not vary significantly because of frequent occurrence of monsoon rains during crop growth period making the effects of drip irrigation treatments negligible. The study concluded that drip fertigation treatments significantly increased the growth parameters, marketable yield and nutrient use efficiency as compared to conventional method of fertilizer application.