Vol. 7, Issue 5 (2019)
Effect of growing media and method of fertilization on growth, yield and quality of watermelon grown under matric suction irrigation
Author(s): B Kannan and K Arulmozhiselvan
Abstract: In a plain open field wasteland area a pot experiment was conducted during Rabi season in the year 2017-18, with different growing media composed with varying substrates such as cocopeat, vermicompost, fly ash, biocompost and pressmud for standardizing suitable composition for enhancing the growth and yield of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thumb) Matsum and Nakai) under matric suction irrigation. Watermelon variety NS-295 was grown in pots filled with media and water was supplied to media from the tubs placed beneath the pots. The water raised from bottom to top into the growing media by the phenomenon of matric suction. All tubs were interconnected by tubes through which constant supply of water was made. This set up maintained moisture in growing media throughout the crop period without a drying phase. The growing media were composed by mixing equal proportion of substrates on dry weight basis. The experimental pots were arranged in 6 x 3 factorial completely randomized design. The results indicated that the growth, yield and quality parameters of watermelon were highest in the growing media containing Cocopeat: Vermicompost: Fly ash fertilized by fertilizer solution, which consequently resulted in the highest fruit yield (21.12 kg pot-1). Comparatively high fruit yield (19.45 kg pot-1) was recorded in Cocopeat: Vermicompost media fertilized by fertilizer solution. Conventional pot mixture of Soil: Sand: FYM with fertilizer solution gave moderate yield (17.12 kg pot-1) which was at par with Cocopeat: Vermicompost: Fly ash with Fertilizer Pellet Pack placement (16.82 kg pot-1). Besides standardizing growing media, the promising effect of matric suction irrigation has been brought out in the present study as an alternative means for surface irrigation. It is concluded that crop production by matric suction irrigation using the growing media may suit well for terrace garden as well as in leveled wastelands where water availability is limited.
Pages: 4433-4441 | 270 Views 109 Downloads
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How to cite this article:
B Kannan, K Arulmozhiselvan. Effect of growing media and method of fertilization on growth, yield and quality of watermelon grown under matric suction irrigation. Int J Chem Stud 2019;7(5):4433-4441.
