Growth, Dry Matter Production and Nutrient Uptake of Elephant Foot Yam ( Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson) as Influenced by Drip Irrigation and Fertigation Levels

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted for consecutive three years (2009-2011) at the Regional Centre ofICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Dumuduma, Bhubaneswar, Odisha to study the effect ofdrip irrigation and fertigation levels on growth, dry matter production and nutrient uptake pattern inelephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius(Dennst.) Nicolson). The experiment was laid out insplit plot design with drip irrigation levels in main plots (I1- 60% CPE, I2- 80% CPE and I3- 100% CPE)and fertigation levels in sub plots (F1- N:K2O 80:80 kg ha-1, F2- N:K2O 100:100 kg ha-1and F3- N:K2O120:120 kg ha-1). A control treatment (surface irrigation; soil application of N-P2O5-K2O 100-60-100kg ha-1) was included in this experiment. The treatments were replicated three times. Farmyard manure10 t ha-1and 60 kg ha-1P2O5were incorporated into the soil in all the treatments during the last plough.The result revealed that drip fertigation treatment I3F3resulted in maximum growth attributes and cormyield. However, it was at par with I3F2and I2F3. The dry matter accumulation in corm was greater thanin shoot at 3, 5 and 8 MAP. The consumptive use of 1258.1 mm water was observed with dripirrigation, whereas in surface irrigation it was 1721.4 mm. At 3 MAP, nutrient uptake by shoot wasgreater than in corm. At 5 and 8 MAP, nutrient uptake by corm was greater than in shoot. The total Kuptake of elephant foot yam was greater than N and P. The total N, P and K uptake was maximum at8 MAP (at harvest) in all the treatments. The treatment I3F3resulted in maximum total N, P and Kuptake at all the stages. The water requirement of elephant foot yam reduced from 6.1 to 4.4 litresday-1plant-1and saved water 58.0-66.4% through drip irrigation. Drip fertigation (three splits) savedfertilizer N:K2O 20:20 kg ha-1(20%) and increased corm yield up to 15.1%.