Study of white onion (Alium cepa L.) on yield and economics under pulse irrigation (drip) for different irrigation levels.

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted during two Rabi seasons from 12thNovember, 2014 to 26th April, 2015 and 23rd November, 2015 to 4th May 2016, on sandy clay loam soil at Instructional Farm of Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidypeeth, Dapoli, India (latitude 170 45’ N and longitude 730 10’ E and altitude of 250 m). The experiment was arranged in twelve treatment combinations with strip plot design as horizontal factor (main treatment) one continuous irrigation (P1), two pulses (P2), three pulses (P3) and four pulses (P4), while vertical factor (sub treatment) as irrigation levels viz., I1 (0.80 ETC ), I2 (1.0 ETC ) and I3 (1.20 ETC ) treatments. It was revealed that the average seasonal water applied to white onion under pulse irrigation (drip) through different irrigation levels varied from 276.8 mm for I1 (0.8 ETC ) to 429.0 mm for I3 (1.2 ETC ) irrigation levels. Among the different treatment combination I2P4 (irrigation level I2 (1.0 ETC ) with four pulse treatment P4) was found 38.52 t.ha-1 and significantly superior over I1P1 (irrigation level I 1 (0.8 ETC ) with continuous irrigation P1). The production cost of Rs. 4,47,366 and Rs. 4,42,962 ha-1, gross returns of Rs. 9,63,000 and Rs. 9,31,500 ha-1, net returns of Rs. 5,15,634 and Rs. 4,88,538 ha-1 and B C ratio of 2.15 and 2.10, were observed for I2P4 and I3P4 treatment combinations, respectively. Average water use efficiency was found maximum for I1P4 (11.93 q ha-1 cm-1) treatment combination followed by I1P3 (11.33 q ha-1cm-1) and I2P4 (10.99 q ha-1cm-1) treatment combinations, respectively