Effect of irrigation and fertigation scheduling on growth, flowering, yield and economics of guava cv. Lalit under ultra high density planting system

A study was conducted to find out the effect of irrigation and fertigation scheduling on growth, flowering, yield and cost economics of guava cv. Lalit elanted under ultra high density planting system. The experiment consisted of 15 treatments combination comprising three different levels of irrigation [50% (I₁), 75% (I₂) and 100% (I₃) irrigation of pan evaporation] and five level of fertigation [20% (F₁), 40% (F₂), 60% (F₃), 80% (F₄) and 100% (F₅)or recommended of NPK. Among the different treatment combination, highest shoot gain after pruning (39.90 cm), plant spread N-S (1.72 m), increase in girth of primary branch (0.315 cm) and canopy volume (1.265 m³) were recorded under I₃F₅ treatment combination. Whereas, highest flowers shoot-1 (47.60), fruit weight (96.91 g), pulp weight (70.84 g), pulp: seed ratio (14.96), number of fruits plant⁻¹ (77.70) and yield (6.75 kg plant⁻¹ & 33.75 t ha⁻¹) were recorded in I₂F₄ treatment combination. However, treatment combinations I₂F₄ and I₂F₃ were found statistically at par with each other in respect of fruit weight, number of fruit plant⁻¹ and yield with each other in all the above parameters. Treatment combination I₂F₃ gave the maximum net return (Rs. 2, 79, 081) per ha under ultra high density planting.