Fertilizer-use efficiency, nutrient uptake and water requirement of capsicum under fertigation in open field conditions

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted on capsicum during 2012-2014 at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, wherein four fertigation levels were tried. The experiment comprising eight treatment combinations in randomized block design was replicated four times. Humic acid significantly increased plant height (9%), leaf area index (10%), nutrient uptake, fruit yield (8%) and fertilizer-use efficiency (29%) over control. Fruit quality was also significantly influenced by humic acid application. Interaction of fertigation and humic acid was statistically significant. Further, crop response was comparable between combined fertigation with 80 percent recommended dose and fertigation with 100 percent recommended dose with and without humic acid. It is therefore concluded that the efficacy of fertigation can further be increased by humic substances.