Role of Humic fertilization on reducing water deficit and its relation to fruit yield of Okra and water productivity

Abstract

A experimental was conducted during summer season 2016 at Agricultural College- Baghdad University, Iraq to determine the actual consumptive use by okra crop (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) under deficit irrigation conditions and humic fertilizer, as well as the assessment the productivity of water and yield. Four irrigation treatments were used 1.Full irrigation (traditional - control), irrigation was imposed at 50% depletion of available water (T0). 2. Deficit irrigation: cutting or omitting irrigation for 15 days in initial vegetative growth stage (T1). 3. Deficit irrigation: cutting or omitting irrigation for 15 days in middle vegetative growth stage (T2). 4. Deficit irrigation: cutting or omitting irrigation for 15 days in flowering stage (T3). Humic acid treatments included application of 4 rates (0, 10, 20 and 40)kg ha-1. The results show the depth water applied was varied with irrigation treatment reached 1115, 1065, 1000 and 994 mm season-1 and water productivity recorder 0.60, 0.44, 0.65 and 0.56 kg m-3 for (T0, T1, T2 and T3) respectively. The humic fertilization increased N, P and K content in okra fruit and theses indicated the role of humic acid to increasing vegetative growth (plant height, leafs number and leaf width), and leading to increase the amount of processed food and fruit yield.