Effect of fertigation and mulching on root studies and crop growth indices for seed production in okra [Abelmoschus Esculentus (L.) Moench]

Okra is an important vegetable crop in India, Method of fertilization also plays an important role in supplying the nutrient to the plants because, the efficacy of fertilizers applied in soil being low due to various losses and fixation, mainly in area of problematic soil. Water and fertilizers are the two important inputs which are used scientifically and judiciously through precision farming technologies to increase productivity, profitability and nutrient use efficiency in okra seed yield and quality. The experiments were conducted during kharif 2016 and kharif 2017 to study the effect of precision farming technologies including fertigation and black polythene mulching to know the crop growth, yield, quality of seeds and root studies in okra seeds var. Arka Anamika and at ICAR-IIHR Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru. The experiment was laid out in RBD with three replication and four treatments each with mulch and on mulch viz., 100: 50: 75 N: P₂O₅: K₂O kg ha⁻¹ 100: 50: 100 N: P₂O5: K₂O kg ha⁻¹ T₃-150: 75: 112.5 N: P₂O₅: K₂O kg ha⁻¹ T₄-150: 75: 150 N: P₂O₅: K₂O kg ha⁻¹ compared with soil application treatments. Application of water soluble fertilizer @ T₄-150: 75: 150 NPK kg/ha through fertigation either mulch (14.05q/ha) or non mulch (11.83q/ha) recorded significantly higher seed yield than fertilizer through soil application (9.92 q/ha).Similarly significantly higher value of Absolute Growth Rate (AGR) Crop Growth Rate (CGR) and root character were observed in the NPK fertigation treatment with or without mulch than the soil application of fertilizers (NPK soil application @ 100: 50: 100kg per ha (T₉) and NPK soil application @ 150: 75: 150kg per ha (T₁₀). Significantly higher root parameter tap root length (21.03cm), average length of primary roots (64.63cm), number of primary roots (10.83 nos), fibrous roots arising from main stem (26 nos) and root dry weight (23.07 g/plant) were recorded in the T₄-150: 75: 150 NPK kg ha⁻¹ through fertigation (WSF) with mulch than the fertigation without mulch and fertilizer applied through soil.