1Directorate of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, Orissa - 751 023, India
2Retired Professor, Agronomy and Ex. Dean, OUAT, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India
3Principal Scientist, Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Online published on 12 November, 2012.
An experiment was conducted to study the effect of drip irrigation regimes and fertigation levels on performance of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha). The treatments included three irrigation regimes and three fertility levels with a control treatment having surface (furrow) irrigation and soil application of fertilizer. Maximum root yield of 795 kg/ha and seed yield of 78 kg/ha was obtained with irrigation at 80% PE followed by 100% PE and 60% PE. Application of full dose of fertilizer (100% RD) produced maximum quantity of roots (745 kg/ha), which was 4.9% and 12.9% more than that of 75% (710 kg/ha) and 50% RD (660 kg/ha). The maximum alkaloid content in the roots was obtained with drip irrigation (0.52%).
Alkaloid, Ashwagandha, drip fertigation, root yield, pan evaporation
