This presentation was presented by Bharti in self study seminar at department of horticulture, HNBGU, Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand - 246174

2. Prospectives of micro-irrigation and fertigation on off-
season vegetable production
Presented To
Dr.D.K.Rana (Astt. Professor)
(Deptt. of Horticulture) Presented By
BHARTI
(M.Sc. Horticulture 2nd Sem)
Batch : 2018-2020

3. Introduction
Cultivation of vegetable crops after or before their normal season in
protected condition or in open field condition is called off season
cultivation.
•The main objective of off season vegetable cultivation is to produce
and supply the vegetables to the market during their lean period.
Benefits
• It helps in better / proper utilization of land and farm resources.
• The outcome obtained by the off season cultivation per unit is high.
• Now days consumers prefer fresh vegetables even in the off season,
this demand of consumer can be satisfied by off season vegetable
production.

4. Micro- irrigation
Micro-irrigation is the slow application of water as discrete or
continuous drips, tiny streams or miniature spray on above or below
the soil surface by surface drip, subsurface drip, sprinkler & bubbler
system.

5. Classification of Micro-irrigation
Drip Irrigation
Sprinkler irrigation
Bubbler irrigation

6. It is the frequent,
slow application of
water to soil through
mechanical devices
called emitters.

7. Surface drip
irrigation
system
Subsurface drip
irrigation
system
Family drip
irrigation
system
Online drip
irrigation
system
In-line drip
irrigation
system

8. Fig: Components of surface drip irrigation system

9. Fig : Subsurface drip irrigation system Family or gravity fed drip system

10. Fig: Online drip irrigation system Inline drip irrigation system

11. Advantages of drip system Disadvantages
Irrigation can be used at a
maximum efficiency level and
water losses can be reduced to a
minimum.
40-60 per cent savings in
fertilizer and chemicals
Positive impact on seed
germination and yield
development.
Weed growth is reduced.
Better quality of crop
High returns per unit area and
time
Saves labor cost
Expense: Initial cost can be more
than overhead systems.
Waste: The sun can affect the tubes
used for drip.
Clogging: If the water is not
properly filtered and the equipment
not properly maintained, it can
result in clogging.
Requirement of higher design
management and maintenance.
Drip tape causes extra cleanup
costs after harvest

12. Refers to the application of
water to crops in the form
of spray from above the
crop like rain.
Conveys water from the
source through pipes under
pressure to the field and
distributes over the field in
the form of spray of “rain
like” droplets

13. Advantages Disadvantages
Affordable and easy to set up.
Water measurement is easier
than surface irrigation system.
Less interference with
cultivation and less land loss.
High and frequent application
can be effectively accomplished.
Easy mechanization and
automation
 High winds cause improper
distribution of water.
 Evaporation losses are high
especially under high
temperature and low relative
humidity conditions.
 High operational cost.
 Higher energy is required for
operating the sprinkler system.

14. In this system water is applied to the soil surface in a small stream or
fountain.

15. Results of studies on micro-irrigation by Plasticulture Development Centre
Sr.No. Crop Yield (Q/ha) Irrigation (cm) WUE (q/ha/cm) Advance of MI (%)
Surface Drip Surface Drip Surface Drip Saving Increase in
yield
1 Bitter gourd 32.00 43.00 76.00 33.00 0.42 1.30 56.60 34.40
2 Broccoli 140.00 195.00 70.00 60.00 2.00 3.25 14.30 39.30
3 Cauliflower 171.00 274.00 27.00 18.00 6.30 15.20 33.30 60.20
4 Cucumber 155.00 225.00 54.00 24.00 2.90 9.40 55.60 45.20
5 Onion 284.00 342.00 52.00 26.00 5.50 13.20 50.00 20.40
6 Potato 172.00 291.00 60.00 27.50 2.90 106.60 54.20 69.20
7 Tomato 61.80 88.70 49.80 10.70 1.24 8.28 78.50 43.50
Source : Naidu, N. C. and Singh. H. P. (2004) : Past Efforts for
promoting micro-irrigation in ‘’Report of Task Force on Micro-irrigation’’
(2004), Chapter V

16. Shah (2011) have pointed to the water saving and yield increases due to micro-
irrigation.
Table 2. Drip and surface irrigation- water saving and increase in yield
(Shah, 2011)
Crop
Yield (kg ha-1) Irrigation
Surface Drip Increase
(%)
Surface Drip Saving (%)
Beet root 570 880 54 86 18 79
Bitter
gourd
3 200 4 300 34 76 33 57
Broccoli 14 000 19 500 39 70 60 14
Chilli 17 100 27 400 60 27 18 33
Cucumber 4 230 6 090 44 109 42 62
Okra 15 500 22 500 45 54 24 56
Onion 28 400 34 200 20 52 26 50
Potato 17 200 29 100 69 60 28 54
Sweet
potato
4 240 5 890 39 63 25 60
Tomato 6 180 8 870 44 50 11 79

17. Fertilization
Irrigation
Fertigation

18. Methods of
fertigation
Continuous
application
Three-stage
application
Proportional
application
Quantitative
application

19. 1.Continuous Application : Fertilizer is applied at a
constant rate from start to the end of the irrigation cycle.
2.Three-stage application: Irrigation starts without
fertilizers. Injection begins when the ground is wet,
injection is stopped before the irrigation cycle is completed.
3.Proportional application: The injection rate is
proportional to the water discharge rate.
4.Quantitative application: Nutrient solution is
applied in a calculated amount to irrigated block.

20. Fertilizers commonly used in fertigation
•Ammonium nitrate
•Ammonium sulphate
•Urea
•Mono ammonium phosphate
•Di ammonium phosphate
•Potassium chloride
•Potassium nitrate
•Potassium sulphate
•Mono potassium phosphate
•Phosphoric acid

21. Devices for fertigation
Fert Tank
Rs.3000
Fert. Pump
Rs.12000
Ventury
Rs.1200

22. Advantages Disadvantages
 Direct and uniform application of
fertilizer nutrients in the root zone of
plants
 Less water pollution
 Higher resources conservation ( saving
water, nutrients, energy, labor and
time)
 Healthy crop growth.
 Efficient delivery of micronutrients.
 It require highly specialized
techniques of vegetable
production.
 It needs regular supervision .
 Sometimes it becomes a risky
operation due to possibility of
incidence of disease and pest.

23. Fertigation system in tomato

24. Treatments Pooled
fruit yield
(t/ha)
Tomato
fruit size
(cm3)
Root
length
(m)
Pooled WUE
(t/ha-mm)
TSS (0 brix) Ascorbic acid
(mg/100 ml of
juice)
pH
T1 G.H.C. + Drip irrigation 0.5 x
E pan + 100% N
93.2 36.6 49.3 0.224 5.7 42.2 4.29
T2 G.H.C. + Drip irrigation 0.5 x
E pan + 125% N
95.9 36.0 49.2 0.231 6.69 42.2 4.29
T3 G.H.C. + Drip irrigation 0.5 x
E pan + 150% N
76.8 35.8 42.7 0.185 5.68 42.1 4.28
T4 G.H.C. + Drip irrigation 1.0 x
E pan + 100% N
68.5 34.8 23.0 0.088 5.54 41.6 4.27
T5 G.H.C. + Drip irrigation 1.0 x
E pan + 125% N
75.6 35.2 21.7 0.097 5.54 41.6 4.28
T6 G.H.C. + Drip irrigation 1.0 x
E pan + 150% N
72.6 35.3 20.7 0.093 5.58 41.5 4.27
T7 G.H.C. + Control (100% N +
surface irrigated)
58.4 24.3 20.4 0.073 5.18 37.8 4.17
T8 N.G.H.C + Control (100% N
+ surface irrigated)
43.1 16.2 16.6 0.053 4.64 22.7 3.90
LSD (0.05) 7.5 2.5 3.0 - 0.14 1.5 0.08
Source: Mahajan and Singh (2006) : found that in greenhouse grown tomato when the
same quantity of water and N was applied through drip irrigation a significantly higher tomato
yield (68.5t/hac) was obtained as compared to the yield of 58.4t/hac and 43.1t/hac in check
basin method when the crop was sown both inside and outside of greenhouse.

25. Conclusion
The off season cultivation is one of the best option to increase farm
income leading to food, nutrition and ecological security as well as
poverty alleviation in the region. Micro – irrigation has been
particularly successful for the production of off season vegetables.
Drip irrigation system is an economical and very efficient system
of irrigating for the off season vegetables. Drip irrigation increase
the yield. Fertigation provides a variety of benefits to the users like
high crop productivity and quality, resource use efficiency,
environment safety, and successful crop cultivation on open filed
or protected condition.