Source efficacy of nutrients and fertigation in long pepper (Piper longum L.)

Abstract

Long pepper (Piper longum L.) is an economically important medicinal crop widely recommended for commercial mediculture among the progressive farmers of the state. It requires specific habitats for satisfactory growth and production. The microclimatic requirements of long pepper match very well with the agro climatic conditions prevailing in the interspaces of middle-aged coconut palms of the humid tropics. Hence, it is ideally suited for intercropping in irrigated coconut gardens. The experiment entitled ‘Source efficacy of nutrients and fertigation in long pepper (Piper longum L.)’ was carried out with the objective to study the effect of micro irrigation and fertigation with water soluble fertilizers, liquid organic manures and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on the growth, productivity, quality and economics of intercropped long pepper under poly cum shade house in coconut garden. The trial carried out in factorial RBD with two replication for a period of two years consisted of combinations of two methods of irrigation viz, M1: microsprinkler and M2: drip and six levels of fertigation viz, F1: Water soluble NPK fertilizer, F2: Liquid organic manures, F3: Water soluble NPK fertilizer + PGPR Mix– I + Fluorescent pseudomonas, F4: Liquid organic manures + PGPR Mix – I + Fluorescent pseudomonas, F5: Water soluble NPK fertilizer + PGPR Mix– I + Fluorescent pseudomonas + Mg + B, and F6: Liquid organic manures + PGPR Mix– I + Fluorescent pseudomonas + Mg + B; besides two control treatments namely CF: Intercropping in coconut garden (foliar application) and CS: Intercropping in coconut garden (soil application). Methods of irrigation significantly influenced the vine length at all stages of growth and drip irrigation recorded the highest values throughout the period of experimentation. Significant influence of different treatment combinations including control was evident in leaf number at all stages of growth and in general M2F1 recorded the highest leaf number. Interaction effects didn’t significantly influence number of branches at any of the growth stages of long pepper. Microsprinkler irrigation recorded the highest total number of spikes (43.41/plant) which was 71.90 per cent higher compared to drip irrigation. Except at 7 MAP, interaction effects significantly improved spike number and total number of spikes. Spectacular improvement in fresh spike yield per plant at various growth stages and total fresh spike yield per plant was evident with microsprinkler irrigation. Levels of fertigation also significantly influenced both fresh spike yield per plant and total fresh spike yield per plant. Interaction effects also indicated its significance on fresh spike yield per plant at all stages of growth except 7 MAP. The treatment combinations, M1F3 at 9 MAP, M1F3 on par with M1F6, M1F5 and M1F2 at 11 MAP, M1F3 on par with M1F6 and M1F2 at 13 MAP; and M1F3 on par with M1F6 at 15 MAP gave higher fresh spike yield per plant. Similar to total fresh spike yield per plant and fresh spike yield per plant at various harvests, total fresh spike yield per hectare and dry spike yield per hectare at various harvests were found to be significantly influenced by the main and interaction effects of treatments including control. Between the two methods of irrigation, microsprinkler recorded significantly higher CWUE which was 69.50 per cent higher over drip system. The trend was also similar with respect to FWUE as well. Levels of fertigation also remarkably influenced the CWUE and F3 recorded the highest CWUE of 65.97 g m-3. A similar trend was observed in case of FWUE also. Among the interaction effects M1F3 recorded the highest CWUE which was significantly different from all other treatment combinations. The same treatment combination recorded the highest FWUE of 36.32 g m-3 (M1F3) which was on par with M1F6. Water productivity was also found to be significantly influenced by methods of irrigation. It is concluded that foliar application water soluble NPK fertilizer + PGPR Mix– I + Fluorescent pseudomonas through microsprinkler irrigation is found beneficial for significant improvement of yield, productivity and profitability.