Abstract:
An investigation was carried out for two consecutive seasons from February 2012 to November
2013 in the Instructional Farm of College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala to study the effect of
irrigation and nutrient management through fertigation and foliar nutrition on nutrient use
efficiency (NUE) in banana under precision farming. The experiment was carried out in split plot
design with six main plots and three sub plots, replicated thrice. Irrigation and nutrient
management practices adopted in main plots included basin and drip irrigation with soil
application of full dose of nutrients and drip fertigation using different water soluble fertilizers at
60 per cent of recommended dose. Foliar nutrition in sub plotsincluded 19-19-19 foliar spray,
Sulphate of Potash (SOP) bunch spray and water spray. The study revealed that irrigation and
nutrient management through fertigation and foliar nutrition had significant influence on NUE in
both the years. Fertigation of 60 per cent N and K as urea and Muriate of Potash (MOP) and soil
application of full P as rock phosphate was found to be effective in enhancing N and K use
efficiency while P use efficiency was improved by fertigation of 60 per cent RDN as
combination of 10-10-10, urea and SOP. Moreover, two bunch sprayings of SOP @ 2 per cent
after complete bunch emergence and three weeks after first application significantly improved
NUE. Foliar spray with 19-19-19 fertilizer @ 0.50 per cent at 2, 4 and 6 MAP was observed to be
beneficial in improving the P use efficiency. It was also noticed that the treatment combination
of 60 per cent RDN supplied as 10-10-10, urea and SOP along with SOP bunch spray enhanced
NUE of all major nutrients in both the years.
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