Author(s):

PS Pawar, L Mukunda Lakshmi, PS Shirgure and Prakash Patil

Abstract: This field experiment on standardization of stage-wise water requirement in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) was conducted at Rahuri, Maharashtra (pooled mean 2011-12 to 2015-16) and at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh (pooled mean 2011-12 to 2016-17) with an objective to study the water requirement at different stages of growth in sweet orange. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with five treatments replicated four times. Plant spacing was 6 x 6 m at both the centres, where developments in terms of growth, yield, fruit quality and water requirement were recorded. 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 the Rahuri centre, the effect of different levels of irrigation at different stages of growth and yield and fruit quality of sweet orange were found to be significant. The maximum plant height (4.73 m), canopy volume (45.97 m³), number of fruits/tree (335.85), average fruit weight (194.75 g), fruit yield (65.33 kg/tree and 18.09 t/ha), juice (46.18%), TSS (10.15 ^oB) and B:C ratio (1.55) with minimum acidity (0.49%) were recorded under treatment T₄, i. e. application of irrigation at 80:80:80:80:80:00 ER% from Stage-I (Jan-Feb) to Stage-VI (Nov-Dec). Based on the results, irrigation at 80:80:80:80:80:00 ER% (T₄) through the drip irrigation system in the growing period (January-October) with water stress in November-December is recommended for better growth, yield and quality fruits in Ambia bahar of sweet orange in Western Maharashtra. At the Tirupati centre, the maximum canopy volume (20.00 m³), number of fruits/tree (288.16) and TSS (10.63 ^oB) were recorded under treatment T_4, i. e. application of irrigation at 80:80:80:80:80:80 ER% from Stage-I (Jan-Feb) to Stage-VI (Nov-Dec). However, the maximum fruit yield (46.91 kg/tree and 12.99 t/ha) and B:C ratio of 1.48 were recorded under treatment T₃, i. e. application of irrigation at 60:80:60:80:60:80 ER% from Stage-I (Jan-Feb) to Stage-VI (Nov-Dec). Based on the results, treatment T₃ is recommended for better yield (46.91 kg/tree and 12.99 t/ha) as well as conservation of 15% of water, highest economic returns (1.48) and less incidence of dry root rot in Ambia bahar of sweet orange under the Rayalaseem region of Andhra Pradesh.

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