Effect of Deficit Drip Irrigation and Mulching on Mango Hybrid 'Amrapali'

Abstract

An investigation was carried out at ICAR-IIHR-Central Horticultural Experiment Station, Bhubaneswar, India during 2010-14 to standardize deficit drip irrigation scheduling and mulching for mango hybrid 'Amrapali' in a split plot design with nine treatment combinations and four replications. Main plot treatments consisted of three drip irrigation schedules, viz ., 25, 50 and 75% pan evaporation replenishment (PER) whereas, subplots comprised of three levels of mulching, viz., no mulch, organic mulch (10 cm thick layer of paddy straw) and inorganic mulch (100 m thick UV stabilized black polythene sheet). Drip irrigation was provided daily through hydrogol system having four drippers of 8 liter per hour (lph) discharge capacity during fruit setting to fruit maturity (February to May). Drip irrigation at 75% PER recorded the maximum annual canopy area increment (2.64 m²), fruit retention (25.42%), yield (21.22 kg tree^-1) and number of fruits (123.81 fruits plant^-1), that was with 50% PER. Fruit quality parameters, viz., pulp, peel and stone contents, TSS and acidity did not show significant differences with change in PER levels. Application of organic and inorganic mulches not only enhanced the fruit retention and yield but also, improved fruit quality in terms of TSS.