EFFECT OF STAGE WISE APPLICATION OF IRRIGATION WATER ON GROWTH, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY IN ACID LIME (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle)

P.S. PAWAR¹*, L. MUKUNDA LAKSHMI², P. PATIL^3
1Jr. Horticulturist, ICAR-AICRP on Fruits, Department of Horticulture, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri, 413722, MS, India
²Senior Scientist, ICAR-AICRP on Fruits, Citrus Research Station, Tirupati, 517502, Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University, Venkataramannagudem, 534101, India
³Project Coordinator, ICAR-AICRP on Fruits, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, 560089, Karnataka, India
* Corresponding Author : pawarpopat1968@gmail.com

Received : 06-05-2022     Accepted : 28-05-2022     Published : 30-05-2022
Volume : 14     Issue : 5       Pages : 11371 - 11375
Int J Agr Sci 14.5 (2022):11371-11375

Keywords : Acid lime, Percent pan evaporation, Drip irrigation schedule
Academic Editor : M. V. Dabhi, Dr Prashant Shrivastava,Dr B. S. Vyakarnahal
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to ICAR-AICRP on Fruits, Department of Horticulture, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri, 413722, MS, India. Authors are also thankful to ICAR-AICRP on Fruits, Citrus Research Station, Tirupati, 517502, Dr.Y.S.R. Horticultural University, Venkataramannagudem, 534101, Andhra Pradesh, India and ICAR-AICRP on Fruits, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, 560089, Karnataka, India
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

This field experiment on effect of stage wise application of irrigation water on growth, yield and fruit quality in acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) was conducted at Rahuri, Maharashtra (pooled mean 2014-15 to 2018-19) and at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh (pooled mean 2015-16 to 2019-20) with an objective to study the water requirement at different stages of growth in acid lime. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with five treatments replicated four times. The irrigations were scheduled on percent of pan evaporation replenishment (ER) at various stages of growth and fruit development: Stage-I (Jan-Feb), Stage-II (Mar-April), Stage-III (May-June), Stage-IV (July-Aug), Stage-V (Sept-Oct) and Stage-VI (Nov-Dec). At Rahuri centre, the effect of different levels of irrigation at different stages on growth, yield and fruit quality of acid lime was found to be significant. The maximum plant height (3.13 m), canopy volume (23.66 m3), number of fruits/tree (805.54), fruit weight (47.60 g), fruit yield (38.71 kg/tree and 10.71 t/ha), juice (49.08 %), acidity (6.85 %), ascorbic acid (32.85 mg/100 ml juice) and B:C ratio (1.57) were recorded under the treatment T4 i.e., application of irrigation water at 80:80:80:80:80:80 ER (%) from Stage-I (Jan-Feb) to Stage-VI (Nov-Dec) and was at par with the treatment T3 i.e., application of irrigation water at 60:80:60:80:60:80 ER (%) from Stage-I (Jan-Feb) to Stage-VI (Nov-Dec) and recorded plant height (3.11 m), canopy volume (23.63 m3), number of fruits/tree (796.75), fruit weight (47.04 g), fruit yield (37.78 kg/tree and 10.46 t/ha), juice (47.55 %), ascorbic acid (31.79 mg/100 ml juice) and B:C ratio (1.54). Based on the results, for acid lime growing under Western Maharashtra, irrigation at 60:80:60:80:60:80 ER (%) during January to December is recommended for better growth, yield, fruit quality with efficient water use. At Tirupati centre, the maximum fruit yield (84.38 kg/tree and 23.37 t/ha), TSS (8.54 oB) and B: C ratio (1.47) were recorded under the treatment T4 i.e., application of irrigation water at 80:80:80:80:80:80 ER (%) from Stage-I (Jan-Feb) to Stage-VI (Nov-Dec). However, the maximum plant height (3.31 m) was recorded under the treatment T2 and was at par with the treatments T3 and T4. The treatment T3 i.e., application of irrigation water at 60:80:60:80:60:80 ER (%) from Stage-I (Jan-Feb) to Stage-VI (Nov-Dec) recorded the plant height (3.29 m), fruit yield (71.24 kg/tree and 19.74 t/ha), TSS (8.50 0B) and ascorbic acid (46.05 mg/100 ml juice). Based on the results, for acid lime growing under Andhra Pradesh, irrigation at 60:80:60:80:60:80 ER (%) during January to December is recommended for better growth, yield, fruit quality with efficient water use