Effect of drip irrigation and fertigation levels on soil moisture content, relative leaf water content and water use efficiency of potato

Drip irrigation and fertigation offers a vast potential for efficient use of water and nutrients in sustainable agricultural management. The study was conducted at experimental farm of CSK HPKV, Palampur. Ten treatments comprised three drip irrigation levels viz., 0.4 PE, 0.6 PE and 0.8 PE corresponding to 40, 60 and 80 per cent of cumulative pan evaporation, respectively, three fertigation levels viz., 50 % RDF, 75 % RDF and 100% RDF equivalent to 50, 75 and 100 per cent of recommended dose of NPK, respectively and RP i.e. recommended practice (recommended dose of fertilizers was applied through conventional methods and 6 flood irrigations of 50 mm each). The results revealed that soil moisture and relative leaf water contents (RLWC) were higher at 0.8 PE in comparison to 0.4 PE whereas water use efficiency (WUE) was highest at irrigation level of 0.4 PE followed by 0.6 PE and minimum at irrigation level of 0.8 PE. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) decreased with increase in irrigation levels whereas fertigation levels increased it. The IWUE was significantly lower under the recommended practice (about 82 per cent lower in comparison to overall mean of the other treatments).