Fertigation in Turmeric

Turmeric is an herbaceous perennial belonging to the family Zingiberaceae and is one of the important commercial spice crops of the tropics. India is the largest producer, consumer and traditional exporter of turmeric in the global arena. Among the various factors affecting productivity of turmeric, improper nutritional management practices and inadequate irrigation during critical crop growth stages can be considered as foremost contributing to low yields. Being a nutrient exhaustive crop, turmeric has been known to generally respond well to increased soil fertility levels. Owing to its long duration and high productivity, it requires heavy input of fertilizers. Soil application of fertilizers is associated with nutrient loss through leaching and evaporation. It may also lead to pollution of soil environment. Turmeric being a crop with high water requirement, assured water supply throughout its growth period of 9 to 10 months is essential. Normally turmeric crop is irrigated at an interval of 5-7 days depending on soil and weather factors. Drip irrigation has now emerged as one of the innovative approaches to precisely meet the water requirements of many crops.