Author(s): MV Khandagale, KD Kale, MS Mane, DD Khedkar, NJ Danawale and SB Lamture

Abstract: During the 2020-2021 period, a field experiment titled "Standardization of fertigation schedule for bottle gourd in the summer season" was conducted. Employing a Randomized Block Design, the experiment comprised ten treatments replicated three times. Bottle gourd crops were manually planted on January 2nd, 2021, with a spacing of 2 x 1 meters. Results indicated that the treatment involving drip irrigation with 100% recommended fertilizer dosage through fertigation according to growth stages (T₁) demonstrated significantly superior growth and yield characteristics for bottle gourd. Notably, this treatment recorded the highest yield at 39.19 tons per hectare. Similarly, it was comparable to treatments T₄ (38.20 t/ha) and T₂ (37.38 t/ha), which involved 100% RDF through fertigation in 18 equal splits and drip irrigation with 80% recommended fertilizer dosage through fertigation according to growth stages, respectively. Soil NPK availability increased with the crop's age, peaking at 60 days after planting (DAP). Treatment T₁ exhibited the highest availability of NPK at 60 DAP (219.3 kg/ha of nitrogen, 28.33 kg/ha of phosphorus, and 358.51 kg/ha of potassium), on par with T₄ and T₂, while T₉ showed the lowest availability. Additionally, the highest total NPK uptake occurred in T₁ at harvest (78.27 kg/ha of nitrogen, 22.04 kg/ha of phosphorus, and 91.80 kg/ha of potassium), with similar results observed in T₄ and T₂, and the lowest nitrogen uptake in T₉. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that drip irrigation with 80% recommended fertilizer dosage through fertigation according to growth stages yields higher production, nutrient availability, and uptake for bottle gourd (var. Samrat) cultivated in medium-deep soils of Maharashtra, offering 20% fertilizer savings.

DOI: 10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i5l.1226