Water and nitrate dynamics in baby corn (Zea mays L.) under different fertigation frequencies and operating pressures in semi-arid region of India

• Fertigation improve water use efficiency fertilizer application.
• Higher NO3-N content was found at surface soil (0–15 cm soil depth).
• Fluctuations of NO3-N at all the depths were more in fortnightly fertigation frequency.
• Yield attributes of baby corn were significantly affected for fertigation frequency.
• Higher fertigation frequencies produce more yields as compared to lower frequency.

Improved water use efficiency, under drip irrigation is reduce percolation and evaporation losses, and provides for environmentally safer fertilizer application through irrigation water in the vicinity of the root zone. The present study was conducted at Water Technology Centre (WTC), Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India to investigate the impact of fertigation frequency and system operating pressure on the dynamics of NO3-N in the soil root system of baby corn. The study was conducted during the year 2010–11 for three consecutive seasons consisted of nine treatments which included three system operating pressures (0.5 kg cm−2, 1.0 kg cm−2 and 1.5 kg cm−2) and three fertigation frequencies (biweekly, weekly and fortnightly). Higher NO3-N content was found at surface soil (0–15 cm soil depth) in all the treatments. During initial and developmental stages, total applied nitrogen per fertigation was not fully utilized by plants especially in fortnightly fertigation at 1.0 kg cm−2 system operating pressure resulting in increase in NO3-N content at 0–30 cm soil depth. At maturity stage, when fertigation was over, NO3-N present in 0–30 cm soil depth leached up to 45 cm soil depth and rest of soil profile remained practically unchanged in its content. NO3-N in lower soil profiles (30–60 cm soil depth) was marginally affected in biweekly and weekly fertigation frequency schedule. Fluctuations of NO3-N content at all the depths were more in fortnightly fertigation frequency schedule. Yield attributes of baby corn were significantly affected by fertigation at different system operating pressures.