Effect of Different Methods of Irrigation and Nutrient Requirement on Yield of Oil Palm

A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station Vijayarai to study the effect of different methods of irrigation and nutrient requirement on yield of Oil Palm under sandy loam soils of West Godavari Dt., Andhra Pradesh. The irrigation methods are no irrigation (I₀), basin (I₁) and drip irrigation (I₂) as main plot and the four fertilizer levels with no fertilizer (F_O), 400:200:900(F₁); 800:400:1800(F₂); 1200:600:2700(F₃) g/N, P₂O₅ and K₂O palm/year respectively as sub plot were tried in a strip plot design. Irrigation was scheduled based on the area of basin and mean monthly evaporation per day expressed as liters. The drip and no irrigation palms received half the quantity of water of basin irrigation. The Oil palm was planted on 03-08-1988 and grown under tube well irrigation. Results (2006–2007) showed that the growth parameters were found non significant except plant height. The effect of irrigation and fertilizers on FFB yield was found significant where as the interaction was found non-significant. The irrigation method significantly affected the number of bunches per palm but bunch weight (kg) was found not significant. The drip irrigation (I₂) significantly increased the no. of bunches/palm (6.7) over the no irrigation (5.4) treatment and was at par with basin irrigation (6.6). The basin irrigation (I₁) significantly increased the FFB yield (18 t/ha) over no irrigation (13.4 tonnes/ha) and was on par with drip irrigation (I₂) with 17.4 t/ha. Graded application of fertilizer levels, significantly increased the plant height. The F3 (1200+600+2700g NPK/ha/year) recorded 8.2 m which was as par with F1 (400+200+900g NPK/palm/year) (7.8m). The FFB yield was increased at higher dose of 1200+600+2700g NPK/palm/year with 18.7 t/ha which was on par with F2 (800+400+1800g NPK/palm/year) with 17.5 t/ha. The water requirement for basin irrigation worked at 509mm and for drip irrigation and life save irrigation treatment received 255mm/year. The water use efficiency was higher in drip irrigation treatmeant with 682.3 Kg–ha/cm. The nutrient use efficiency was higher (82.2Kg/FFB/ha Kg NPK) in (F1) 400+200+900g NPK/palm/year.