Fertigation in Aonla

Aonla is an important indigenous emerging fruit crop owing to its hardiness and ability to withstand adverse soil and climatic conditions and belongs to the family Euphorbiceae.It is the richest source of vitamin C (600-1300 mg/100g). The average productivity of Aonla in Tamil Nadu is low with traditional way of cultivation. Aonla requires frequent doses of fertilizers coupled with soil moisture to utilize the nutrients more effectively. The present cultural practices viz., surface or flood irrigation, surface application of fertilizers applied in two split doses per year needs to be reworked and modified with more precise method of nutrient management coupled with drip irrigation system to overcome problems of nutrient loss besides saving water and labour cost. Considering the high yield potential in aonla, nutrient application with due consideration on various crop growth stages will help in realizing the potential yield. To further supplement, aonla fruit price is decided by fruit characters like single fruit weight, fruit size and fruit shape etc. Therefore well balanced fertigation techniques will help in achieving more income to the growers.