THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT FERTIGATION TREATMENTS ON YIELD AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE OF WATERMELON PLANTS GROWN AS SECOND CROP IN CUKUROVA REGION

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of different fertigation treatments (25, 50, 75 and 100 %) on yield and nutrient uptake of watermelon as the second crop and to compare with conventional practices. Experiments were conducted over the experimental fields of Eukurova University, Agricultural Faculty Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Department under field conditions. Experiment was conducted in randomized blocks split plots design with three replications. A total of 160 kg ha(-1) nitrogen (N) as ammonium sulphate, 100 kg ha(-1) phosphorus (P) as MKP and 200 kg ha(-1) potassium (K) as KNO3 were applied. Seedlings were planted in peat/perlite mixture (1:1 V/V) and transplanted to experimental plots following with wheat harvest in June. The watermelon plants were irrigated 9 times during the growing season in one week intervals. Current findings revealed that 75% fertigation treatment (120 kg ha(-1) N, 75 kg ha(-1) P, 150 kg ha(-1) K) had the greatest yield (48.38 t ha(-1)). Also, it increased N (% 3.78), P (% 0.31), Zn (45.7 mg kg(-1)), Mn (43.1 mg kg(-1)) and Cu (17.6 mg kg(-1)) contents of plants.