Irrigation and Fertigation Scheduling under Drip Irrigation in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) Crop

Field experiments were conducted (Field No. NC-17) at Agricultural Research Station, Bhavanisagar during 2007 and 2008 to maximize the water and fertilizer use efficiency in brinjal crop. The experiments were laid out in factorial randomized block design with nine treatments which included three irrigation levels 100, 75 and 50% of pan evapora­tion (PE) along with three fertigation levels, viz. 125, 100 and 75% of recommended N and K fertigation through drip irrigation and replicated thrice. In brinjal, higher yields (42.33 t ha-1 in I crop and 37.90 t ha-1 in II crop) were recorded in treatment drip irriga­tion at 75% of PE with fertigation of 75% of recommended N and K with maximum shoot length and number of branches plant-1. The highest water use efficiency of 111.5 kg ha-1 mm-1 and N, K use efficiency were recorded in drip irrigation at 75% of PE with fertigation of 75% of recommended N and K. The maximum benefit-cost ratio was noted in drip irrigation at 75% of PE with fertigation of 75% of recommended N and K (2.9 and 2.5, respectively) in both the years of study.