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Year: 2015, Issue: December
Efficacy of drip irrigation against Rhizoctonia bataticola infection in smooth gourd fields of Kota district of Rajasthan.
Author:
Rashmi Varma and Vishnu Kumar
Keyword:
Conventional, Drip irrigation, Emitters, Rhizoctonia bataticola, Smooth gourd.
A field trial was conducted with local cultivar in experimental plot of Arjunpura area of Kota district of Rajasthan to assess the influence of drip irrigation on smooth gourd crop infected with R.bataticola. Comparative analysis of two different irrigation methods viz. drip irrigation and surface irrigation were also carried out to know the effect on percent yield, water saving, rate of infection, percent size and quality of fruit, energy/fertilizer/pesticide cost and labour cost in smooth gourd crop. The drip lines were spread in the field at a distance of 7.5 ft. from April to June till the arrival of monsoon. Percent yield, percent water saving and percent size and quality of fruits was observed higher in drip irrigation than the surface irrigation whereas percent rate of infection, energy/fertilizer/pesticide cost and labour cost is lower than surface irrigation method. The direct application of water and fungicides/pesticides into root zone through emitters inhibit the growth of fungus caused root rot at a primary stage and increase the yield of disease free smooth gourd crop. Water saving is very high in drip irrigation method than the surface irrigation method. Thus, the present study clearly indicates that drip irrigation method is very effective method for water saving and obtaining disease free high quality yield of smooth gourd especially in arid and semi arid regions of India like Rajasthan where the irrigated water is low and farmers are entirely dependent on conventional methods of irrigation.
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