MSc.

A field experiment on “Fertigation and mulching studies in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var capitata L.)” was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy to work out the optimum levels of irrigation and nutrients for fertigation in cabbage and to study the effect of fertigation and mulching on growth and yield of cabbage. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomised Block Design (RBD) with four replications. The treatments consisted of combinations of two schedules of irrigation (drip irrigation at 60 and 80 per cent Ep), three levels of fertilizer (75%, 100% and 125% of recommended fertilizer dose), mulching (silver-black polythene mulch) and non-mulching. In drip irrigation water was replenished daily according to pan evaporation recorded at three days interval. The cabbage hybrid NS 43 was used for the study. The study revealed that irrigation had significant influence on vegetative characters of cabbage. Scheduling of irrigation at 60% Ep resulted in significantly higher plant height while plant spread, number of non-wrapping leaves and wrapping leaves were highest at 80% Ep. All the yield attributing characters including gross and net head weight were higher at lower level of irrigation (60% Ep).
Mulching significantly improved plant height, wrapping leaves and plant spread compared to non-mulched treatments which significantly had no influence on non-wrapping leaves. Mulched treatments also gave significantly highest net head weight than non-mulched treatments.
The number of non-wrapping leaves and plant spread was higher in treatments received 125% of recommended dose of fertilizer. Plants receiving 75% of recommended dose of fertilizer gave significantly higher head length, core length and harvest index. Fertilizer had no significant influence on head breadth, head index, gross head weight and head net weight.
Interaction effect of irrigation and fertilizer was significant on all vegetative and yield attributes except head length of cabbage. Treatment I1F2 (60% Ep + 100% of recommended fertilizer) gave highest plant height. Number of non-wrapping leaves was higher in treatment I1F3 (60% Ep + 125% of fertilizer dose) while number of wrapping leaves and plant spread was maximum in I2F3 (80% Ep + 125% Ep). The treatment combination of I1F3 (60% Ep and 125% of fertilizer dose) recorded significantly higher gross head weight and net head weight compared to other treatments.
Interaction of irrigation and mulching had no influence on number of non-wrapping leaves, but had significant effect on all other vegetative characters of cabbage. Lower level of irrigation along with mulching gave the highest net head weight compared to non-mulched treatment.
The treatment combination of fertilizer and mulching had significant influence on all vegetative characters of cabbage except on number of non-wrapping leaves. Irrespective of fertilizer doses, mulched treatments showed more plant height and plant spread compared to non- mulched treatments. The treatment combination of F3M1 (75% of fertilizer dose + silver-black polythene mulch) recorded significantly higher net head weight in the study.
Interaction effect of irrigation, fertilizer and mulching had marked effect on plant height, number of non-wrapping leaves, wrapping leaves and plant spread. The highest net head weight recorded in treatment I1F3M1 was significantly superior to all other treatments and it was followed by I1F1M1.
Lower level of irrigation (60% Ep) is sufficient for good performance of cabbage. Mulching with silver-black polythene sheet proved to be a very good practice for overall growth and yield of the plants. All levels of fertilizer (75%, 100% and 125% of recommended dose of fertilizer) were mostly on par. But along with irrigation at 60% Ep and mulching, the highest level of fertilizer gave the maximum yield which was significantly superior to all treatments/treatment combinations.