Correlation and regression studies and economics in cauliflower under different drip irrigation regimes and fertigation levels

A field experiment on cauliflower with various drip irrigation and NK fertigation regimes was conducted at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana during rabi 2019-2020. The experiment layout was split plot design with nine treatments, comprising of three drip irrigation regimes viz., 0.6 Epan (I1), 0.8 Epan (I2) and 1.0 Epan (I3) as main plots and three drip NK fertigation levels of control (N0K0-F1), 50 % recommended dose of NK (N40 K50- F2) and 100 % recommended dose of NK (N80 K100- F3) as sub plots and replicated thrice. The independent variables significantly explained the variation in curd yield in all components like dry matter production, yield attributes and NPK uptake as evident from the high coefficient of determination (R2) values which varied from 0.722 to 0.970. Dry matter production and yield attributes (curd diameter, depth, volume, curd weight plant-1) and NPK uptake had positive regression coefficients and statistically significant at P=0.05. Drip irrigation scheduled at 1.0 Epan recorded significantly higher net returns and B:C ratio (Rs 1,79,675 ha-1 and 1.86) than 0.8 Epan and 0.6 Epan. Drip fertigation of 100 % recommended dose of NK got significantly higher net returns and B:C ratio (₹2,60,015 ha-1 and 2.20) than 50 % recommended dose of NK and control.