Optimization of Fertilizer Use Efficiency in Bhendi under Drip Fertigation
G.Vijayakumar *
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Sri Shanmugha College of Engineering and Technology, Sankagiri TK, Salem District, Tamil Nadu State, India.
V.Dharmaraj
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Sri Shanmugha College of Engineering and Technology, Sankagiri TK, Salem District, Tamil Nadu State, India.
K.Mohan
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Sri Shanmugha College of Engineering and Technology, Sankagiri TK, Salem District, Tamil Nadu State, India.
S.Sapthagiri
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Sri Shanmugha College of Engineering and Technology, Sankagiri TK, Salem District, Tamil Nadu State, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Field experiments were conducted at Sri Shanmugha College of Engineering and Technology, Sankagiri, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India during 2025 to study the influence of drip fertigation in maximizing fertilizer use efficiency in Bhendi (lady’s finger) in crop geometry method. The fertigation with drip system was laid out at 2.4 m lateral spacing and 60 cm emitter spacing to irrigate four plant rows with 30x30 cm spacing and control plot with 1.2 m lateral spacing. The treatments were drip fertigation at 100, 80 and 60 % recommended nitrogen level and drip irrigation with 100 % manual fertilizer application (control) as conventional method. The overall results showed that drip fertigation at 80 % recommended level was comparatively more effective than other treatments in overcoming the initial high cost of drip fertigation system. It was also found that the system cost in this method reduced by 17.4 % as compared to paired row drip system. Hence, the drip fertigation at 80 % recommended nitrogen level with four rows of plants with plant spacing 30x30 cm can be suggested for better returns.
Keywords: Fertigation, fertilizer use efficiency, paired row system