IRRIGATION SCHEDULING AND TECHINIQUES IN MANGO

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INTRODUCTION

• Amount and frequency of irrigation depends upon the type of soil,

prevailing climatic conditions, especially the rainfall and its

distribution, temperature, relative humidity and age of trees.

• Irrigation is not required during the monsoon months unless there

are long spells of drought.

• Generally, the young plants with shallow root system need regular

frequent irrigation during dry period.

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CONT..• However bearing trees develop deep, well spread, extensive root

system and do not usually require watering except during fruit

development period, beginning from fruit set stage to full development

stage, when irrigation should be given at an interval of 10 -15 days,

depending on soil and climatic condition.

• This results in increased fruit set, decreased fruit drop and

improvement in fruit size and fruit quality. Irrigation is not required

during the monsoon months unless there are long spells of drought.

Irrigation must be stopped at least 2 – 3 months before the flowering

period. Irrigation during this period usually promotes vegetative

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IRRIGATION• Mango needs 125 to 170 cm of precipitation annually; but on account of

deep tap root system, it requires little irrigation after the first few years.

• When the planting is done in spring, the young plants require irrigation

fourth or fifth day during the first summer till the rains break.

• During rains, irrigation should be given only if the soil dries up.

• The bearing plants are often given no irrigation but irrigation during

flowering reduces fruits.

• Irrigation if withheld during the pre-flowering phase increases flowering,

otherwise, irrigation during this period is likely to promote vegetative

growth.

• Trees receiving heading back pruning needs to be provided 2-3

irrigation at that time to induce new shoot formation.

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IRRIGATION FREQUENCY

• During the first year, when the plants are very young with shallow

root system, they should be watered at 2-3 days interval in the dry

season. Trees in the age group of 2-5 years should be irrigated at 4-

5 days interval.

• The irrigation interval could be increased to 10-15 days for 5-8

years old plants during dry season.

• When the trees are in full bearing stage 2-3 irrigations are given

after fruit set.

• Frequent irrigation during flowering is not advisable as it induces

more vegetative growth and thereby affects flowering

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• Irrigation should be given at 50 per cent field capacity.

• Generally, inter crops are grown during the early days of plantation

and hence, frequency and method of irrigation has to be adjusted

accordingly.

• Basin type of irrigation is followed in mango.

• In rainfed mango, water conserving strategies must be adopted to

save moisture in the soil to obtain reasonable production.

• The farm ponds and use of mulches help to increase the soil

moisture conservation.

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CONT..

• Generally intercrops are grown during the early years after plantation

and hence method of application has to be adjusted accordingly.

• Up to 5 years after planting, it is better to make basins around the

plants and connect them in series so that irrigation could be

administered independent of the intercrop.

• For subsequent age, irrigation can be combined with that of

intercrops.

• However, if intercrops are to be abandoned in fully bearing orchards

then basin system should be followed so as to economise on the

water use. Then the basins may be connected in series or to a

channel dug in between the rows.

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DRIP IRRIGATION

• In recent years, acute water scarcity in several parts of the country

coupled with dwindling water resources have lead to switch over to

drip irrigation, an alternative, efficient and water saving system.

• Drip irrigation system has become more popular and adapted by

many growers.

• Apart from economy in water use, there will be labour saving and

also the possibility of using soluble nutrients through the drip system

called ‘fertigation’ resulting in increased fertilizer and water use

efficiency.

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The drip irrigation schedule is based on evapo transpiration rates

Sl.No.

Age of plant (yr) Quantity of water (l/plant)

Emitters/plant

1. 2 2-5 1 at 15 cm away from plant

2. 2-4 10-25 2 at 45 cm away from plant

3. 5-10 30-90 4 at 45 cm away from plant

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FERTIGATION

• By following fertigation method, the quantity of fertilizer could be

reduced by 20 to 25 per cent, when applied through drip irrigation.

• In one of the fertilizer trials, the recommended doses of fertilizers in

fertigation of mango are as follows:

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S.No Stages Percentage of nutrients required

Time of application

N (%) P (%) K (%)

1. Vegetative 60 70 40 Weekly interval

2. Reproductive

40 30 60 Weekly interval