Abstract

Field experiment was conducted at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore during summer, 2007 to study the effect of drip fertigation levels and frequencies on nutrient uptake rate and relationship with grain yields of hybrid maize. Four fertigation frequencies (once in 6, 9,12 and 15 days), two fertilizer levels (100 and 150 percent of RDF), surface irrigation with 100 per cent RDF and absolute control (no fertilizer) were included as treatments in this study. Supply of 150 per cent of RDF once in 6 days (T 5 ) recorded significantly higher nutrient uptake than 100 per cent of RDF. Absolute control (T10 ) recorded the lowest plant nutrient uptake rate followed by surface irrigation with 100 per cent RDF (T9) for NPK throughout the cropping period. The results revealed that application of nutrients through fertigation very frequently (once in six days) with 150 per cent RDF (T 5 ) recorded higher uptake rate for all nutrients. The uptake rate of nutrients during 30-60 DAS was twice higher than the initial stage (0-30 DAS) for Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K). With respect to Phosphorus, it was higher during 30-60 DAS and the increment was slightly higher than initial stage unlike N and K. Correlation Analysis indicated that N and K were highly correlated with grain yield than P.

Keywords: Drip fertigation, hybrid maize, nutrient uptake.