evaporation, 13: Irrigation at 0.9 Pan evaporation .' through drip and 14:Irrigation at 75mm CPE through check basin method) and four N levels as subplots (N1:.
3rd International Agronomy Congress, 2012
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Extended SummariesVol 3, 3cd InternationalAgronomy Congress Nov. 26-30,2012, New Delhi, India
Enhancing productivity and water use efficiency of rabi castor through drip fertigation in Andhra Pradesh A.V. RAMANJANEYULU, A. MADHA VI, A. VISHNUV ARDHAN REDDY, M.V. NAGESH KUMAR DHARMA REDDY
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Regional Agricultural Research Station (Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University), Palem 509 215, Mahabubnagar Disi., Andhra Pradesh, India Castor (Ricinus communis L.)is the premier non-edible oilseed crop grown throughout the world owing to its high oil content (45-55%). India is the world leader having maximum area (59%), production (64%) and productivity (1512 kg/ha) of castor and meets 90% of the world's requirement of castor oil, earning about' 2500 crores of foreign exchange annually (OaR, 201112).Though the state of Andhra Pradesh stands second in area (0.186mha) and third in production (0.120mt), the productivity levels of castor are very low (645 kg/ ha) as compared to Gujarat (1978kg/ha), Haryana (1600 kg/ha) and Rajasthan (1417kg/ha). Castor productivity can be enhanced by growing it during rabi season. However, in view of ever increasing water scarcity and electricity shortage, there is a need to adopt modem and efficient methods of irrigation and nutrient application viz., drip fertigation which can help to produce more with little water and efficient utilisation of nutrients. A project was implemented with financial assistance from NABARO under Farm Innovation Promotion Fund (FIPF) in order to develop irrigation and fertigation scheduling to enhance productivity, water use efficiency and returns from rabi castor in Andhra Pradesh. METHODOLOGY A field investigation was executed during rabi 201011 at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Palem, Mahabubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh to study the effect of drip irrigation and fertigation on yield, water use efficiency and economics of rabi castor. The soil of experimental site was red chalka with pH 7.6, low in available N (217kg N /ha), medium in available P (32.2 kg pp/ha), available K (476kg l
