Browsing by Author "Kuruvilla Varughese"

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Effect of irrigation and mulching oh the growth and yield of pineapple (Ananas Comosus L.)
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1988) Kuruvilla Varughese; Pillai, G R; Jose Mathew; Santhakumari, G; Gopi, C S
A field experiment was conducted in a sandy loam soil of the Agronomic Research Station, Chalakudy, Kerala for four years from 1981 to 1985 to study the response of irrigation and mulching on tha growth and yield of pineapple. Both irrigation and mulching influenced the fruit yield significantly. The study revealed that irrigating pineapple during summer months at 0.6 IW/CPE ratio (5 cm depth of water) and mulching the crop with dry leaves @6000 kg/ha was optimum. It requires fivato six irrigations during the dry months at an interval of 22 days.
Influence of summer cropping and fallowing on fertilizer use efficiency and productivity of rice
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1996) Jose Mathew; Reena Mathew; Kuruvilla Varughese; Santhakumari, G; Pillai, G R
Irrigation and integrated nutrient management for sustainable sugarcane production
(Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2001) Thomas Mathew; Kuruvilla Varughese
Two field experiments were conducted at Sugarcane Research Station, Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala state to standardise the surface methods of irrigation with and without trash mulching and to study the potential of integrated nutrient management in sugarcane for sustainable cane production. The study was carried out for a period of two years in plant crops during 1998-1999 and 1999-2000. The influence on growth, yield attributes, yield, quality, nutrient uptake and physico-chemical properties and biological properties of the soil were investigated. . In Experiment No. I viz., 'Standardisation of irrigation management in sugarcane' the methods of irrigation with and without trash mulching was investigated. The treatment comprised of 4 methods of irrigation viz., all furrow, alternate furrow, skip furrow and irrigation once in a month (farmer's practice) under mulched and unmulched situations. The results revealed that all furrow irrigation in combination with trash mulching had positively influenced all the growth-characters, yield attributes, nutrient uptake and appreciably increased the cane, sugar and jaggery yield. It was comparable with alternate furrow irrigation with trash mulching. While cane growth and sugar production was reduced in skip furrow irrigation with or without trash mulching. Trash mulching also improved physical conditions, fertility status, microbial population and enzymatic reactions in the soil. It had also shown better retention and conservation of soil moisture and reduced the soil temperature as compared to unmulched treatments. Since the combination of trash mulching with all furrow and alternate furrow irrigation had recorded comparable values for cane I ~ yield, B : C ratio; it could be possible to economise the use of irrigation water by . following alternate furrow irrigation with trash mulching during the formative phase of sugarcane. It was revealed that a water economy to the tune of 41 per cent was possible in alternate furrow irrigation with trash mulching as compared to all furrow with trash mulching. By mulching alone an increase of 10 per cent in cane yield was observed in alternate furrow irrigation. While in all furrow, skip furrow or irrigation once in a month the beneficial effect of mulching was not visible to such an extent as in the case of alternate furrow irrigation. Alternate furrow irrigation under trash mulching had recorded the highest WUE, energy use efficiency and energy productivity which again suggest the effective and efficient utilisation of resources with better conservation. In Experiment No. II viz., 'Integrated nutrient management in sugarcane', studies with the integrated use of organic sources like press mud, _ trash, green manuring with cowpea, Acetobacter and Azospirillum inoculation with mineral nutrition at 50, 75 and 100 per cent dose of NPK and mineral nutrition alone were carried out. The results revealed that integrated use of press mud at 5 t ha:' with mineral nutrition at 100 per cent of the recommended dose of NPK had explicitly increased the growth characters, yield attributes and uptake of nutrients producing the highest cane, sugar and jaggery yield. However, it was comparable with the conjunctive use of press mud at 5 t ha" with 75 per cent of the recommended dose of NPK. Soil inoculation of Azospirillum at 10 kg ha-! with mineral nutrition at 100 per cent or 75 per cent had also produced significant impact on growth, yield attributes, yield and quality of cane. It also increased the B:C ratio as compared to the integrated use of mineral nutrition with green manuring, Acetobacter inoculation or trash application. Application of NPK at 50 per cent of the recommended dose along with Azospirillum inoculation had shown higher B:C ratio as compared to the integration of other organics with 50 per cent of the recommended dose of NPK. Mineral nutrition without organics even at full dose had produced lesser cane sugar and jaggery yield as compared to the integrated use of press mud, Azospirillum, green manuring or Acetobacter along with mineral nutrition at 50 per cent of the recommended dose of NPK. The conjunctive use of press mud either with 100 or 75 per cent of the recommended dose of NPK had shown comparable values for B:C ratio, energy use efficiency and energy productivity besides improving physico- chemical properties and biological properties of soil. Hence, it is possible to save 25 per cent of the recommended dose of NPK by applying press mud at 5 t ha:'. It can be concluded from the study that alternate furrow irrigation under trash mulching had resulted in substantial savings in irrigation water during the formative phase without any reduction in yield or quality. While in integrated nutrient management, it was concluded that press mud application at 5 t ha' along with mineral nutrition at 75 per cent of the recommended dose of NPK had increased the cane yield with a saving of 25 per cent of the recommended dose of NPK. Mineral nutrition alone even at its full dose recorded comparatively lesser cane yield and B:C ratio than all other combinations with organics.
Irrigation and mulching in nendran banana
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1989) Pillai, G R; Kuruvilla Varughese; Jose Mathew; Santhakumari, G
Irrigation management on yield stabilization and annual productivity of coconut
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1996) Jose Mathew; Piilai, G R; Santhakumari, G; Kuruvilla Varughese
The impact of irrigation water management, with the treatments linked to climatic parameters, in coconut on inter-harvest yield variation and annual productivity was studied in a five-year field experiment.Yields got stabilized with adequate irrigation showing minimum fluctuation among harvests during different periods of the year.The data on per cent contribution of individual harvests, standard deviation, yield range between harvests and coefficient of variation clearly supported this argument. Based on yield trends and irrigation water consumption, irrigation at 50 mm CPE with 50 mm water was suggested as the best schedule for irrigating coconut during dry spell.
Optimising the irrigation water requirement of cassava
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1988) Jose Mathew; Kuruvilla Varughese; Pillai, G R; Santhakumari, G
A two year study was undertaken at the'Agronomic Research Station, Chalakudy during 1982-'83 and 1983-'84 to formulate a suitable water management schedule which optimises the irrigation water requirement of cassava planted during November- December months. Tha trial consisted of 12 irrigation treatments (unirrigated and irrigated at 75 mm and 100mm CPE, through all furrows and alternate furrows and with varying quantities of irrigation water (Recommended (50 mm) and its 3/4 and 1/2 depths) in different combinations. Two treatments having the added advantages of economy in water and labour viz., (i) All furrow irrigation with 1 /2 water (25 mm) at 100 mm CPE and (ii) Alternate furrow irrigation alternatively with 25 mm water at 75 mm CPE were identified, the first schedule approximately requires seven irrigations at an interval of 27 days whereas thjsacond schedule requires nine irrigations at an interval of 20 days.
Response of blackgram to different levels of irrigation in summer rice fallows
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1986) Kuruvilla Varughese; Jose Mathew; Pillai, G R
Studies conducted at the Agronomic Research Station, Chalakudy revealed that the grain yield of blackgram grown in rice fallows during summer was significantly influenced by water management practices. Irrigating the crop at an IW/CPE of 0.5 was found to be the best. The ratios of 0.75 and 0.5 and bellshaped irrigation recorded 105, 107 and 109 per cent increase in grain yield over no irrigation control. It was also observed that both the varieties tried viz., T9 and Co 2 were on par in all the three seasons.
Response of cassava to irrigation under pure and mixed stands
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1986) Kuruvilla Varughese; Jose Mathew; Pillai, G R
Afield experiment was conducted for two consecutive years in the sandy loam soil of the Agronomic Research Station, Chalakudy to study the effect of different irrigation schedules (0.3, 0.6 and 09 IW/CPE ratios) on the growth and yield of cassava under pure and mixed stands (cassava (M 4) alone and cassava intercropped with groundnut (TMV 2), cowpea (V 16), greengram (ML 26), and blackgram (T 9). It was revealed that under shallow water table conditions cassava requires irrigation only at IW/CPE ratio of 0.3 (approximately once in 37 days in the dry period) both under pure and mixed stands. It was also observed that cultivation of intercrops viz., greengram, cowpea, blackgram and groundnut gave additional income from the same piece of land without adversely affecting the yield of cassava.
Response of chickpea (Cicetarietirum L.) to soil and foliar application of diammonium phosphate
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1987) Kuruvilla Varughese; Pathak, S S
Response of cowpea to irrigation and phosphorus
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1994) Santhakumari, G; Pillai, G R; Kuruvilla Varughese; Jose Mathew
Investigations carried out in the rice fallows of the Agronomic Research Station, Chalakudy revealed that grain and green pod yields of cowpoa variety Kanakamani were significantly increased by irrigation and application of phosphorus. Irrigation at critical stages of branching, flowering and pod formation and irrigation at 1W/CPE = 0.75 were better schedules for the production of grain and green pods. The economic optimum dose of phosphorus was worked out to 30.0 and 36.8 kg P2C>5 ha for the production of grain and green pods, respectively.
Response of sesamum to water management practices under varying levels of nitrogen
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1989) Jose Mathew; Kuruvilla Varughese; Pillai, G R; Santhakumari, G
A field experiment on sesamum (Sesamum indicum) with five water management practices (No irrigation and irrigation at 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 IW/CPE ratios and at critical stages of 3-4 leaf stage, branching, flowering and pod formation) and four nitrogen levels (0, 15, 30 and 45 kg N/ha) was conducted in the sandy loam soil of the Agronomic Research Station, Chalakudy during the three summer seasons of 1983, 1985 and 1986. Irrigating sesamum with 40 mm water at the critical stages of 3 - 4 leaf stage, branching, flowering and pod formation or at 0.75 IW/CPE ratio (at an approximate interval of 13 days) resulted in significant higher grain yield as compared to unirrigated or less frequently irrigated crops. The response to nitrogen application up to 45 kg/ha was linear in nature having no interaction effect with water management practices. However, the yields of grain at 30 and 45 kg/ha of nitrogen were comparable.