Tomato is one of the major crops cultivated in Chinnagottigallu mandal of Chittoor district, A.P. It is cultivated in an area of 267 hectares with average yield of 45-55 tonnes per hectare.
The crop is cultivated throughout the year under drip irrigation system. Even though drip system is adopted, some farmers are using fertilizer doses indiscriminately through soil application for crop production.
Some of them are applying excessive dose of water soluble fertilizers along with drip irrigation as recommended by local private companies.
Cultivation costAs a consequence, cost of cultivation has been increasing indirectly with heavy doses of fertilizers since farmers are investing more either for daily application of water soluble fertilizers through drip irrigation or for soil application of complex fertilizers.
In such conditions, tomato crop sometimes could not assure guaranteed profit to the farmers due to downfall of market prices especially at the time of market glut.
Frontline demonstrations on fertigation in tomato has been undertaken by RASS-Krishi vigyan Kendra in different villages of Chinnagottigallu mandal under NABARD lead crops project with an objective of enhancing crop productivity with lower doses of fertilizers.
This technological intervention has brought about not only considerable reduction in cost of cultivation with lower doses of fertilizers and but also led to higher crop yields.
InterventionAs a latest technological intervention, fertigation schedule with 50 per cent recommended doses of fertilizers was demonstrated in a large scale adoption. KVK has given water soluble fertilizers such as 50kg urea, 25kg multi-k and 25kg calcium nitrate free of cost for demonstration purpose.
Technical knowhow was also provided on foliar application of micronutrients, IPM practices (yellow sticky traps, trap crop, border crop).
Result a 33.3 per cent yield increase was obtained in the demonstration plot saving about Rs.1,37,500 on expense on inputs.
(Mr. P.S.Sudhakar and Mr. S.Sreenivasulu, both subject matter specialists, Horticulture, RASS-KVK, Tirupati, mobile: 9908836684, email: rasskvk@gmail.com)
