Effect of Irrigation and Fertigation Scheduling under Drip Irrigation in Papaya

A field experiment was conducted for three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013 to study the effect of different irrigation scheduling through drip irrigation on papaya (Carica papaya Linn.) production in sandy loam soil. The experiment comprised of nine treatments under drip method of irrigation with combination of three irrigation regimes viz. 60%, 80% and 100% of cumulative pan evaporation (CPE), three different levels of fertilizer, and conventional irrigation at 50 mm CPE as a control treatment. The results showed that drip irrigation resulted in 45 to 66 % water saving with 21 to 36 % increase in papaya yield as compared to conventional method of irrigation. The water use efficiency was found maximum (3.39 t/ha/cm) in drip irrigation with 60 per cent cumulative pan evaporation (CPE) on daily basis. The drip irrigation at 100% CPE with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) was found to be optimum for growth (139.17 cm), and papaya production (112.55 kg/plant).