Response of Broccolli to Irrigation Scheduling and Methods under Drip, Sprinkler and Surface Irrigation
S. K. Himanshu1, A. K. Singh2, S. Kumar3, P. Kalura4
1Mr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu, Assistant Professor, Civil Engg. Deptt, GEU, Dehradun, India.
2Mr. Ajit Kumar Singh, Assistant Professor, Civil Engg. Deptt, NIMSU, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
3Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, Assistant Professor, Civil Engg. Deptt, GEU, Dehradun, India.
4Mr. Praveen Kalura, Assistant Professor, Civil Engg. Deptt, GEU, Dehradun, India.
Manuscript received on March 12, 2013. | Revised Manuscript received on April 13, 2013. | Manuscript published on April 30, 2013. | PP: 777-782 | Volume-2, Issue-4, April 2013. | Retrieval Number: D1517042413/2013©BEIESP
Open Access | Ethics and Policies | Cite
© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: The aim of this study was to identify the best irrigation method and scheduling that will help in the development of vegetable industry. Field study was carried out during the winter crop growing season of 2009-2010 (December to March) on clay loam soil in Allahabad of India in order to evaluate the effect of irrigation methods and schedules on marketable yield, irrigation production efficiency and economic return of broccoli under semi arid climate. The irrigation during corp growing season was applied when sum of the daily USWB class A open pan reached approximately the predetermined value of 16.3 mm after accounting the rainfall. Irrigation at 150% of pan evaporation replenishment resulted in higher marketable yield of primary and secondary flowers, but irrigation production efficiency was higher with irrigation at 50% of pan evaporation replenishment. The drip irrigation method resulted in slightly higher marketable yield of primary flowers, and irrigation production efficiency as compared with micro-sprinkler irrigation method. The surface irrigation method gave considerably lower yield of primary and secondary flowers and irrigation production efficiency. The irrigation at 150% of pan evaporation replenishment resulted in higher gross return, net return and benefit cost ratio for micro-sprinkler followed by drip and surface irrigation methods. The seasonal water applied/ irrigation schedules and gross return, net return and benefit cost ratio for different irrigation methods exhibited strong quadratic relationship which in-turn can be used for optimizing economic return under limited water resource condition. In spite of higher initial investment, the micro irrigation system (drip and microsprinkler) is highly economical for broccoli production in this region.
Keywords: Drip irrigation, Sprinkler irrigation, Surface irrigation, Lateral spacing, Irrigation schedule, Marketable yield, Irrigation production efficiency, Pan Evaporation.