rrigation Water Productivity and Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Yield in Different Planting Methods under Mulch Conditions

Abstract

To investigate the effect of planting methods i.e. drip irrigated beds (DIB+M), furrow irrigated beds (FIB+M) and ridge (R+M) methods under mulch condition at different irrigation regimes on irrigation water productivity and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yield, a field experiment was conducted in sandy loam soil at the Research Farm of Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Three irrigation levels based on IW/PAN-E ratios of 1.2, 1.6 and 2.0 were tested under FIB+M and R+M, while 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 were tested under DIB+M. The treatments were replicated thrice a time with split plot design. Paddy straw mulch was applied @ 6 t ha-1 in all the treatments. The potato tuber yield increases with increase in irrigation level for all the methods. The highest mean tuber yield of 26.5 t ha-1 was recorded in DIB+M at IW/PAN-E 0.5, followed by FIB+M (24.2 t ha-1) and R+M (22.6 t ha-1) at equivalent IW/PAN-E ratio 2.0. Potato biomass yield and irrigation water productivity (IWP) was also observed to be highest under DIB+M. The IWP decreases with increase in irrigation level. The results revealed that DIB+M at IW/PAN-E ratio of 0.5 could successfully be used for potato cultivation with water saving and higher productivity.