MSc.

Piper longum, popularly known as thippali or long pepper, is an economically important medicinal plant well adapted to the agro climatic situations prevailing in the state. Generally, long pepper is grown in the interspaces of coconut gardens or under partial shade. But the productivity of the crop varies widely with habitats. So it is necessary to maintain a favourable microclimate throughout the growth stages of long pepper. Protected cultivation is one of the measures that can be adopted to ensure an ideal habitat for improving the growth and productivity of long pepper.
The experiment entitled “Precision farming techniques in long pepper (Piper longum Linn.) under protected cultivation” was carried out at the College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, Kasaragod, Kerala during 2013-2014 to develop cost effective agro techniques for improving the quality attributes, productivity and profitability of long pepper.
The experiment consisting of 14 treatments replicated twice was laid out in RBD in the interspaces of coconut garden. The treatments were, T1 - Planting in trenches filled with enriched rooting medium + Staking + Fertigation through drip system, T2- Planting in trenches filled with enriched rooting medium + Staking + Fertigation through micro sprinkler, T3- Planting in trenches filled with enriched rooting medium + Without Staking + Fertigation through drip system, T4- Planting in trenches filled with enriched rooting medium + Without Staking + Fertigation through micro sprinkler, T5 - T1 + Planting in hanging pots and fertigation through mist, T6 - T2 + Planting in hanging pots and fertigation through mist, T7 - T3 + Planting in hanging pots and fertigation through mist, T8 - T4 + Planting in hanging pots and fertigation through mist, T9 - Planting in trenches filled with potting mixture + Without staking + Life saving irrigation (Control), T10 - T1 Under partial shade, T11- T2 Under partial shade, T12- T3 Under partial shade, T13- T4 Under partial shade, T14- Planting in trenches filled with potting mixture + Without staking + Life saving irrigation under partial shade (Control).
Treatments had no significant effect on vine length. However the highest vine length was recorded by the treatment T6. The treatments exerted significant effect on the total number of leaves at all stages of growth. At 12 MAP, the treatment T1 recorded the highest leaf number. Branching in long pepper was found to be significantly influenced by treatment effects only during the early stages of growth ie, at 7 and 8 MAP.
The effect of protected cultivation and precision farming techniques was not consistent in influencing root number at various stages of growth. However, significant difference in root number was registered at 7 and 10 MAP. Though not significant, T9 at 12 MAP recorded the highest root number. The effect of treatments on root length was spectacular at all stages of growth. T4 on par with T3 recorded the highest root length at 12 MAP. Though, the effect of treatments on root spread was not consistent at all stages of growth, significant influence of treatments was evident at 9, 10, and 11 MAP. The treatment T1 registered the highest root spread at 12 MAP. The significant influence of treatments on root dry weight was evident only at 12 MAP where T4 which was on par with T5, T3, T10, and T6 recorded the highest root dry weight.
Physiological and biochemical characters were also found to be significantly influenced by treatment effects at 12MAP. The treatment T6 which was on par with T5, T8, and T2 recorded the highest relative leaf water content. The treatment T9 registered highest leaf chlorophyll content at 12 MAP.
The highest total spike number per plant per year was recorded by the treatment T5 and it was found to be on par with T6. The per cent increase in spike number in treatment T5 was 63.69% over control. The highest total fresh and dry spike yield of 1023 and 524 kg ha-1 were recorded by the treatment T5. Total alkaloid production per hectare varied from 15.58 to 29.58 kg ha-1.The treatment, T5 recorded the highest alkaloid production. Uptake of nitrogen and potassium was found to be significantly influenced by treatment effects. But phosphorus uptake was unaffected by the treatment effects.
With respect to seasonal consumptive use, mean daily consumptive use and crop coefficient, all the treatments under protected cultivation and precision farming techniques were on par and recorded significantly higher values compared to the two control treatments, T9 and T14. However, the treatments under protected cultivation and precision farming techniques were on par in relation to water use efficiency and water productivity. The economic analysis of the system revealed the superior performance of the treatment T5 with respect to gross income, net income and BCR.
It is concluded that integrated management of long pepper by planting rooted cuttings of the variety ‘Viswam’ in trenches filled with enriched rooting medium (dry powdered cowdung + vermicompost + composted coir pith + bone meal in 1:1:1:1 proportion enriched with Trichoderma, Azospirillum and Pseudomonas) at a spacing of 50 x 50 cm, trailing on cassava stakes, fertigation, ie, rotational application of liquid organic manures, ie, vermiwash, panchagavya and jeevamrutha through drip irrigation system and maintaining a second storey of long pepper in hanging pots with mist irrigation in a shade house erected in the interspaces of coconut garden (protected cultivation) was found beneficial to improve the quality, productivity and profitability of long pepper in the humid tropics.