Effect of fertigation on growth, yield, fruit quality and fertilizer-use efficiency of peach

A field trial was conducted during 201516 to study the comparative performance of fertigation and conventional soil fertilization on growth, yield, fruit quality and fertilizer-use efficiency of peach cv. Redhaven. Eight treatment combinations consisting of four levels of fertilizer concentration viz. Recommended dose (RD) of NPK through soil, 100, 80 and 60% of RD of NPK through drip, and two levels of drip irrigation [drip irrigation at 100 and 80% ETc (crop evapotanspiration)], were given to five-year-old trees. The results revealed that treatment combination of fertigation at 100% of RD of NPK and drip irrigation at 100% ETc significantly increased tree height (18.61%), tree spread (16.97%), trunk girth (14.80%), annual shoot growth (116.80 cm), yield (19.14 kg/tree), proportion of three layer grade fruits (87.72%), fruit length (6.79 cm), diameter (6.33 cm), weight (119.32 g), volume (125.52 cc) and TSS (13.07°B). Application of 100% recommended dose of NPK through drip along with drip irrigation at 100% ETc resulted in 26.77 and 40.45% increase of tree height, 18.14 and 25.26% increase in fruit yield. However, the maximum fertilizer use efficiency (10.00 q/ha/q) was achieved in F3I1 (80% of RD of NPK through drip + drip irrigation at 100% ETc) treatment combination, which also resulted in production of higher yield of better quality fruits.