MSc

A field experiment was carried out at the Instructional Farm of the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during 1979-80 to study the effect of graded doses of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium on the growth, nutrient uptake, yield and quality of turmeric and also to develop suitable foliar diagnosis techniques in relation to these nutrient elements. The treatments comprised of three levels each of nitrogen (0, 20 and 40 kg N/ha), phosphorus (0, 20 and 40 kg P2O5/ha) and potassium (0, 40 and 80 kg K2O/ha). The experiment was laid out in a 33 factorial experiment in randomized block design, confounding the effect of interaction NP2K2 totally.
Results revealed that among the morphological characters studied, the number of tillers per clump responded to the increasing levels of nitrogen whereas number of leaves per tiller decreased with increasing levels of nitrogen. The height of tiller was not influenced by any of the fertilizer treatment. The fresh and dry weights of rhizome and total dry matter yield remained unaffected by the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. The total dry matter production was influenced by the levels of potassium and NK interaction. Maximum production of dry matter took place at K1 level which was superior to those at K0 and K2 levels.
Levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and their interaction failed to influence the yield of turmeric at harvest.
The uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was not found influenced by the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus employed. But levels of potassium significantly influenced the uptake of these nutrient elements, the K1 level being superior to K2 and K0.
There was a continuous increase in the number of tillers per clump, number of leaves per tiller and height of tiller with advancing period of growth. A period of pronounced and active vegetative growth was observed during the period between 120th and 150th day.
Fresh and dry weights of rhizome increased with increasing age of the crop and attained maximum at harvest.
Uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium steadily progressed with advancing age of the crop. Maximum uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus took place during the period from 120th day to 150th day whereas the uptake of potassium was maximum during 180th day to 210th day after planting.
The contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were highest in the top most leaf and continuously decreased with increasing number of the leaf position when the leaves are numbered from top to bottom of the tiller. In consideration of the stability of the nutrient level with leaf positions and correlation with uptake of nutrients, the third leaf appeared to be the best suited for foliar diagnosis of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium status of the crop. The period between 90th to 120th day after planting was recommended as optimum period for the detection and amendment of the nutrient status of the crop.
The graded doses of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and their interaction failed to influence the percentage of oleoresin content of turmeric.