Efficacy of Ferti-Irrigation on Pre and Post Harvest Qualities of Maize Enhansing the Farmers Income

A field experiment “To study the efficacy of ferti-irrigation for Maize” was conducted at PG Research Farm of MPKV, Rahuri during kharif 2012,2013 and 2014 in Randomized Block Design with nine treatments (based on sources and levels of fertilizers) replicated thrice, with objectives to study the efficacy of ferti-irrigation, to standardize the optimum dose and schedule of water soluble fertilizers (WSF) and to study the economics of fertigation for Maize using WSF. The 3 years pooled data indicated that, all the growth and yield contributing characters viz. girth & length of cob, no. of grains per cob, 100 grain weight and weight of grain per cob and grain yield (68.64 q/ha) were recorded significantly maximum at harvest in T2 treatment i.e. 100% fertigation with 3 foliar sprays. The drip irrigation (without fertigation) resulted 18.45% increase in yield compared to conventional method. The average water use by maize revealed that, the drip irrigation resulted into lowest water use (339.53 mm) than surface method of irrigation (644.47 mm) and thus resulted into 47.32% water saving. The treatment of 100% fertigation with 3 foliar sprays (T2) resulted into significantly maximum water use efficiency (WUE) of 20.6 q/ha-mm with 47.26% increase in yield and 47.32% water saving compared to surface irrigation treatment which recorded minimum WUE of 7.3q/ha-mm. However, it was at par with 100 and 80% fertigation with WSF and 100% Conventional Fertilizers (CF) treatment i.e. N & K through drip and P through soil. The treatment T2 recorded significantly maximum availability of N,P,K (229.83, 48.50 and 367.87 Kg/ha, respectively) at 90 days after sowing over all other treatments. Amongst drip treatments total N, P and K uptake was increased significantly in all fertigation treatments (T1toT7) over conventional method of irrigation. Significantly maximum N, P, K uptake (154.30, 69.87 and 136.82 kg/ha, respectively) was found in treatment T2 over other treatments. Maximum nutrient use efficiency (NUE) (24.33 kg yield kg-1 nutrient applied) was observed with 80% WSF fertigation followed by 60% WSF fertigation treatment as per schedule. The lowest NUE (11.34 kg yield kg-1nutrient applied) was observed in surface irrigation with 100% CF. Maximum net seasonal income and net extra income with water productivity of Rs.108 per ha-mm of water was obtained in 100% WSF fertigation with 3 foliar sprays over surface irrigation with CF, followed by 80% WSF fertigation treatment as per schedule with water productivity of Rs.106 per ha-mm of water and 100% WSF fertigation treatment as per schedule over control, where as surface irrigation with CF resulted into lowest water productivity of Rs.33 mm-1 of water. The 100% fertigation with foliar 3 sprays treatment resulted into 47.32% water saving which can bring 0.90 ha additional area under irrigation. Taking into consideration this additional area, the total net income obtained was found maximum with this treatment (Rs. 68688) followed by drip with 80 & 100% RD of WSF as per schedule (Rs. 66989 &Rs. 65653 respectively) compared to surface irrigation with CF treatment (Rs.21062). Maximum B: C ratio of 1.68 was observed in treatment of 80% fertigation with WSF followed by 100% fertigation with WSF as per schedule and 100% fertigation with 3 foliar sprays. It can be concluded that drip fertigation with 80% RD (120: 60: 40 NPK kg/ha) of WSF in 12 weekly splits as per schedule is recommended for higher quality yield and net returns, efficient water and nutrient use by maize in medium soils of Maharashtra.