Effect of Different Irrigation Levels on Water Requirement, Water Use Efficiency and Cost Analysis of Strawberry under Silver Black Mulch

Abstract

The present study was aimed with specific objectives to study the effect of different irrigation levels on water requirement, water use efficiency and cost analysis of strawberry. The research was carried out at Research Farm of Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, during 12^th December 2013 to 2^nd April 2014. The experiment was laid out with twenty treatment combinations and conducted using randomized block design (RBD) with four replications. There were five levels of irrigation viz. I₁ (0.4PE), I₂ (0.6PE), I₃ (0.8PE), I₄ (1.0 PE), and I₅ (1.2PE). The irrigation was scheduled on daily basis. The total depth of water applied in irrigation levels I₁, I₂, I₃, I₄ and I₅ were 24.54 cm, 36.81 cm, 49.09 cm, 61.36 cm and 73.63 cm, respectively which saved 66.6 per cent, 50.0 per cent, 33.3 per cent and 16.7 per cent water over the irrigation level I₅. The maximum water use efficiency was found in treatment I₁ (4.28 q ha^-1 cm^-1) followed by I₂ (3.78 q ha^-1 cm^-1), I₃ (2.77 q ha^-1 cm^-1), I₄ (2.12 q ha^-1 cm^-1) and I5 (1.38 q ha^-1 cm^-1), respectively. The maximum net income of Rs. 10, 92,496 per hectare was recorded in treatment I₂ followed by Rs. 10, 50,188, Rs. 9, 77, 868 and Rs. 6, 82, 417 in treatment I₃, I₄ and I₁, respectively. In irrigation level I₅ the net income of Rs. 6, 37, 948 per hectare was observed, which was lowest amongst all other treatments. The maximum B: C ratio of (2.88) was observed in irrigation level I₂ followed by I₃ (2.80), I₄ (2.67) and I₁ (2.18). The minimum B: C ratio was observed in irrigation level I₅ (2.09) which was due to lowest yield.