INFLUENCE OF CHLORIDES IN IRRIGATION WATER AND FERTILIZER LEVELS ON TOBACCO SEEDLINGS UNDER RAINFED LIGHT SOILS OF PRAKASAM AND NELLORE DISTRICTS

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted with water containing 28, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 ppm chlorides in main plots and two fertilizer levels viz., recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) and 150% RDF in sub-plots in split plot design with three replications, for three seasons (2006-07 to 2008-09) with cv. Hema to findout maximum concentration of chlorides in irrigation water without affecting the seedlings. The germination count declined significantly beyond 200 ppm chlorides. Damping off and blight tended to decline slightly to increased chloride content. Yellowing, upward cupping, thickening and brittleness of leaves and slow death of seedlings are some of the symptoms observed in high chloride treatments. Fresh and dry weights decreased significantly with increased chlorides in water especially beyond 300 ppm. Weight of seedlings was significantly high under increased fertilizer dose. Yield of transplantable seedlings decreased with increased chlorides beyond 50 ppm. Higher number of transplantable seedlings was recorded with increased fertilizer dose especially with water containing higher chlorides. The experiment conducted in pot culture with main plots showed the effects more clearly. These seedlings when raised in field could not influence either yield or quality of leaf. As observed in separate feeler trials, use of FYM @ 25t/ha + high fertilizer dose and use of high chloride water mixed with rain water are some of the measures to counter the ill-effects of high chlorides in water.