EFFECT OF DRIP FERTIGATION ON BIOCHEMICAL QUALITY CONSTITUENTS OF FCV TOBACCO GROWN IN NLS OF ANDHRA PRADESH

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted during 2010-11 at CTRI RS, Jeelugumilli on sandy loam soil, to study the effect of fertigation levels through drip viz., 100, 80, 60 & 40% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF), drip irrigation with RDF and furrow irrigation with RDF on biochemical quality constituents of FCV tobacco. Cured leaf samples of both X and L leaf positions from different treatments were analyzed for biochemical quality constituents viz., rutin, chlorogenic acid, starch, petroleum ether extractives (PEE), proline, free fatty acids, solanesol, pigments and carotenoids. Decrease in fertigation levels showed significant increase in rutin, starch and chlorogenic acid. Fertigation with 100% RDF showed significantly lower rutin content than with 40% RDF both in X and L position. Nitrate nitrogen content decreased with decrease in applied fertilizer in fertigation treatments in both X and L positions. Nitrate nitrogen content in drip with manual application of 100% RDF was higher than 80%, 60% and 40% fetigation treatments in leaf from both positions. The treatments 100 and 80% fertigation levels showed significantly lower starch levels compared to drip irrigation and fertigation with 40% RDF. Chlorogenic acid in 100% RDF is significantly lower compared to furrow irrigation and fertigation with 40% RDF. PEE, carotenoids and proline showed increasing trend with increase in fertigation levels. Fertigation levels 100 and 80% showed significantly higher PEE than 40% and drip irrigation treatments. Proline content decreased with decrease in fertilizer in fertigation treatments. Drip irrigation with manual application of 100% RDF treatment showed lower levels of proline compared to other treatments. Thus in the present study revealed that dripfertigation (100, 80 and 60% RDF) treatments showed superiority in the biochemical quality constituents over normal furrow irrigation with RDF.