Water need and nutrient movement in potato based cropping systems linder drip, sprinkler and furrow methods of irrigation

The five potato based cropping sequences were evaluated under drip, sprinkler and furrow methods of irrigation during two consecutive years 1995–96 and 1996–97 on light textured (Typic-Ustocrept) soils at CPRI Campus, Modipuram, Meerut (U.P.). Results revealed that the drip irrigation at 150% CPE water level produced maximum potato equivalent yield (635 q PEY/ha) as compared to conventional furrow method of irrigation (491 q PEY/ha). The sprinkler irrigation system was found intermediate in category and gave 578 q PEY/ha when irrigations were applied at 150% CPE water level. While in case of cropping sequence, the urd-potato-bottle gourd cropping sequence produced highest potato equivalent yields 861, 851. and 627 q PEY/ha in comparison to other cropping sequences tried under drip, sprinkler and furrow irrigation methods, respectively. However, the urd and bottlegourd crops performed better and gave maximum productivity as compared to other crops raised under all irrigation methods. The quantity of water required to produce 1.0 q PEY/ha was less (1.971 ha-mm) In urd-potato-bottlegourd crop sequence than other cropping sequence were tried. The total quantity of irrigation water used (average over cropping sequence) under drip Irrigation was 1489 ha-mm 150% CPE as against 2007 ha-mm with furrow method of irrigation, besides producing 145 qlha more potato equivalent yield than furrow Irrigation. However, the sprinkler irrigation method was Intermediate In performance. Potato crop raised under drip and sprinkler irrigation methods at 150% CPE water level had more quantity.of nltrate-N (22.2 and 21.5 ppm, respectively) In surface soils in comparison to furrow irrigation In which the nltrate-N was 19.1 ppm at 60 days crop stage.