Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
18.3.3 LEAF NUTRIENTS COMPOSITION
The imposed irrigation treatments showed a differential response on leaf nutrient sta-
tus of mandarin plants (Table 2). The higher leaf N was registered under drip irrigation
at 60% Ecp with plastic mulch compared with leaf N under basin irrigation method.
The leaf K uptake was highest under drip irrigation at 60% Ecp with plastic mulch,
which was at par with other drip irrigation treatments, probably due to high available
K in soil. But, it was significantly lower under basin irrigation method. The lower
level of leaf N and K with basin-irrigated plants might be caused by leaching of the
NO
3
-N and K
+
in soil within the effective root zone due to flooding in this treatment.
Though, the highest leaf P content was registered under drip irrigation at 80% Ecp
with plastic mulch, but overall it was not affected significantly within the treatments.
The treatments imposed had no significant effect on the fluctuation in leaf micronutri-
ent contents, except Fe statistically (
P
< 0.05). Highest leaf Fe was registered under
drip irrigation at 100% Ecp with plastic mulch, followed by drip irrigation at 80% Ecp
with plastic mulch as compared with lowest in basin irrigation. Highest plant uptake
of Fe in drip irrigation at 100% Ecp with plastic mulch is attributed to increased solu-
bility of reduced form of iron (Fe
2+
) due to lack of oxygen in the rhizosphere under
increased waterlogged condition in this treatment [8]. The leaf-Fe content under drip
irrigation 60% Ecp with plastic mulch was at optimum level as per the standard foliar
diagnosis chart for Nagpur mandarin developed by Srivastava et al. [13].
TABLE 2
Leaf nutrients composition of 'Nagpur' mandarin' under various irrigation treatments
with plastic mulch (Mean data during 2006-2009).
Macronutrients
(%)
Micronutrient
(ppm)
Treatment
N
P
K
Fe
n
Cu
Zn
*
DI at 40% Ecp
+ PM
1.98
0.063
1.47
97.5
46.6
7.4
7.8
DI at 60% Ecp
+ PM
2.56
0.072
1.88
112.6
49.3
8.5
18.8
DI at 80% Ecp
+ PM
2.08
0.125
1.65
120.8
54.6
12.4
11.7
DI at 100% Ecp
+ PM
2.07
0.118
1.54
130.7
57.2
11.3
9.3
Basin irrigation
1.43
0.087
1.07
97.3
47.6
7.8
11.8
#
LSD
0.05
0.5
NS
0.32
5.5
NS
NS
NS
*
DI = Drip Irrigation; PM = Plastic mulch.
#
LSD
0.05
= Least significant difference at 5% probability level.
NS: Not significant.
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