Effect of Drip Irrigation Levels and Weed Management Practices on Quality Parameters and Yield of Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) under Mango Orchard

Abstract

A field experiment, aimed to study the effect of drip irrigation levels and weed management practices on quality and productivity of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) in mango orchard was carried out at Pt. K.L. S. College of Horticulture and Research Station, Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh) during two consecutive years (2019-20 and 2020-21). The results indicated that all the quality parameters like total carbohydrate in rhizomes, volatile oil yield in rhizomes, oil yield and curcumin content in turmeric were significantly higher values observed when the crop imposed to drip irrigation at 1.0 Epan and hand weeding thrice at 25, 50 and 75 DAP in 2019-20 and 2020-21. However, flood irrigation at 1.0 Epan and weedy check plot recorded the lowest values of these parameters during both years. The combination of  drip irrigation at 1.0 Epan with hand weeding thrice at 25, 50 and 75 DAP recorded significantly the highest fresh rhizomes yield (29.10, 32.40 and 30.75 t ha-1)  and cured rhizomes yield (6.58, 6.93 and 6.76 t ha-1) during kharif -rabi 2019-20 and 2020-21and on mean basis, respectively.