Md. Abdullah
Project Director (Oil seed and Pulses)
BARI, Gazipur
S. K. Biswas
Scientific Officer
IWM Division, BARI, Gazipur
M. A. Razzaque Akanda
Senior Scientific Officer
IWM Division, BARI, Gazipur
Md. Masud Alam
Senior Scientific Officer
SRC, Bogra
The experiment was conducted at Spices Research Centre, Bogra during the rabi seasons of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 to test the performance of low cost sprinkler for onion irrigation. It was compared with farmers practice (flood irrigation with 20 days interval). A non-irrigated treatment was also set as a control. In both the years, the highest bulb yields (9.96 and 22.52 t/ha) and water productivities 5.50 and 6.26 kg/m3 were obtained from the treatment irrigated with low cost sprinklers. The bulb yield increased 46.04% and 29.29% over the farmers’ practice during the first and second years, respectively. The water required for sprinkler irrigation was 162 mm in 11 applications including 20mm water for plant establishment while 176 mm of irrigation water was required for farmers’ practice in three applications.
Onion, sprinkler irrigation, low cost sprinklers, water requirement
Spices Research Center (SRC), Bogra
Crop-Soil-Water Management
The study was undertaken to test the performance of low cost sprinklers for onion cultivation to increase the yield and water productivity.
The experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 at the Spices Research Center (SRC), Bogra. The soil of the experiment field was silty loam having bulk density of 1.46 gm/cc and field capacity, 26.5%.
The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Fertilizers were applied at the rate of N90, P75, K120 S18 Kg/ha. Total amount of TSP, MP and gypsum was applied at the final land preparation. Urea was applied during two top dressings at 25 DAT and 50 DAT. The unit plot size was 4.0 × 4.0m. Onion seedlings of 40 days old were transplanted on 29 December 2004 and 25 December 2005. Row to row and plant to plant spacing were 20 and 10 cm, respectively.
The treatments were:
T1= Sprinkler irrigation at 5 days interval
T2= Flood irrigation (Farmer’s practice)
T3= Control (no irrigation)
Four sprinkler units were set in a 4m x 4m plot. Each sprinkler unit covered an area of diameter, 2m. The discharge of a sprinkler was 0.63 litre/min. Sprinkler irrigation was applied at 5 days interval on the basis of ET estimated from pan evaporation (EP) and crop factor (Kc).
Then the time required to irrigate each plot was calculated by dividing volume of water with unit discharge of the sprinkler. The flood irrigation was given as practiced by the farmers. One common irrigation amounting to 25 mm in the first year and 20mm in the second year was applied to all plots just after transplanting for plant establishment. Plant protection measures were taken as and when required. The bulbs were harvested on 25 March 2005 and 25 March 2006. Data on plant population, plant height, leaves/plant, bulb length, bulb diameter, unit bulb weight and yield/plot were recorded and analyzed statistically.
Annual Research Report 2005-2006, IWM, BARI
From two years study, it was found that sprinkler method performed better in respect of crop yield and incremental net return. But its higher initial cost becomes a financial drawback to poor and medium farmers. However, this method can be recommended for large farmers.
Report/Proceedings