Vol. 8, Issue 9, Part P (2024)

An experiment has been conducted in high density orchard of guava cv. Allahabad Safeda at Research Farm, Nalanda College of Horticulture, Noorsarai, Nalanda (Bihar) during two consecutive years 2016 and 2017 under agro-climatic zone of III B of Bihar, consisting of 5 years old trees planted at the spacing of 3.0 × 1.5 m under drip irrigation system. The experiment was laid out under natural field conditions in a Randomized Block Design with 8 treatments in three replications. The irrigation levels were applied on the basis of crop evapotranspiration (ET): 100% of ET at alternate day, 80% of ET at alternate day, 60% of ET at alternate day, 100% of ET at fourth day, 80% of ET at fourth day, 60% of ET at fourth day, Conventional system and Rainfed as control. Five plants were selected per treatment. The performance of guava trees in terms of vegetative growth parameters and yield attributing characteristics, both were showed significant variations due to various treatments. Among all the treatments, application of DI of 100% ET at alternate day was recorded maximum increment in plant height (70.91 percent), plant spread (76.88 and 80.02 percent), canopy volume (227.75 percent), and leaf area (108.58 cm²). Moreover, the fruit set, fruit retention as well as yield was also recorded maximum in the trees irrigated with DI of 100% ET at alternate day. However, DI of 80% ET at alternate day showed the performance at par with the 100% ET. Thus, the water productivity is found maximum with application of DI of 80% ET at alternate day without affecting the yield and quality of guava under high density plantation.