Effect of Rate and Frequency of Micronutrient Application on Soil Chemical Properties for Production of Banana under Drip Irrigation

The two year field experiment "effect of rate and frequency of micronutrient application on production of banana under drip irrigation" was carried out using banana as a test crop and as ratoon crop at Soil and Water Management Research Unit, NAU, Navsari. Present experiment was conducted at fixed site, for plant crop a set of 8 treatments were tried and subsequently the same set of treatments were super imposed on ratoon crop. The different rate of multi-micronutrients mixture, grade-V(M1= 25 gm/plant, M2= 50 gm/plant, M3= 75 gm/plant) and the frequency of application (S1= Basal and S2= 50 per cent each as basal and 50 per cent two month after planting) was used in different treatments in present investigation. Total eight treatments like 60% RD of N & K and 100% RD of P (PFDC) (T1), PFDC+M1S1(T2), PFDC+M1S2(T3),PFDC+M2S1(T4), PFDC+M2S2(T5),PFDC+M3S1(T6), PFDC+M3S2(T7) and 100% RDF only (T8) for plant as well as ratoon banana crops were tested using randomized block design with four replications. The application of micronutrient under treatment T7 {micronutrient application @ 75 g/plant applied as 50% basal + 50 % after 2 month planting (M3S2) along with PFDC practices} gave significantly highest DTPA-Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu content in soil during different periodical soil analysis at 3, 6 and 9 (MAP) and at harvest of banana crop in both the years 2012-13 (plant) and 2013-14 (ratoon) compared to control and it was at par with T6. The application of micronutrient gave the non-significant effect on soil pH. The treatment T7 showed significant effect on soil EC (dS m-1). Whereas, highest available N, P2O5 and K2O content significantly increased in 100% RDF treatments compared to other treatments at 3, 6, 9 MAP of the plant banana as well as at 3, 6 and 9 MAR (month after ratooning). The treatment T6, T7 and T8 were found more remunerative than the remaining treatments as these treatments recorded higher BCR values of 1:2.20, 1:2.34 and 1:2.19, respectively.