Growth and Yield Performance of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.) in Relation to Fertigation Using Different Rates and Sources of Fertilizers

A field experiment was conducted at Bangalore during 2013 and 2014 to study the effect of fertigation on the performance of okra. The trial included total of ten treatments comprising of varying rates and different sources of fertilizers were tested. Application of recommended dose of fertilizer (180:120:120 kg NPK/ha) through fertigation using water soluble fertilizers on weekly interval resulted in higher values for plant height (153.6 cm), pods per plant (15.79), pod length (16.33 cm), pod girth (6.48 cm) and pod weight (21.28 g), which remained on par with same amount of fertilizer applied bi-weekly. In general treatments which received the fertilizers through fertigation have taken less number of days for flowering over the conventional soil application of fertilizers. All fertigation treatments recorded higher marketable okra pod yield over the conventional soil application of fertilizers to the tune of 12.5 to 46.0 per cent. Among fertigation treatments, application of recommended dose using water soluble fertilizers through 100 per cent weekly fertigation resulted in highest marketable yields (21.65 t/ha). The highest net income (Rs.187852/ha) and B: C ratio (1.53) was obtained with the treatment where in 50 per cent of recommended dose of N: K using water soluble fertilizers supplied through fertigation.