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In the current study, efforts were made to standardize fertigation for providing the recommended doses of fertilizers (RDF) i.e., 300, 260, and 200 g/plant/year for N, P, and K, respectively, together with optimization of irrigation scheduling so that guava plants could avoid the frequent episodes of nutritional stress, water scarcity, or overwatering. The experiment’s execution was confined to a three-factor randomized block design, with a total of 19 treatments that were replicated four times. Briefly, these treatments included drip irrigation and nutrient (NPK) application through fertigation dosages (RDF; 100, 80, and 60%) with and without silver-black plastic mulching. Different applied fertilizer dosages, together with different levels of irrigation and soil mulching, had a significant impact on the guava plant’s vegetative, reproductive, and nutritional aspects. Under silver-black plastic mulch, drip irrigation at cumulative pan evaporation (CPE) 80 and 100% of the prescribed dosage of fertilizers, better macronutrient availability in the soil, and improved plant development were recorded (M1DI2F1). Overall, using drip fertigation to provide NPK fertilizers close to the root zone increased the availability of nutrients to the plants as compared to the traditional fertigation and irrigation methods. Thus, this sustainable high-tech horticultural approach could be analyzed for its efficacy or applied to other crops to obtain adequate economic outcomes.

The present study was carried out in an experimental field at horticulture research centre Patharchatta, department of horticulture, G. B. P. U. A & T Pantnagar Uttarakhand during the year 2017 and 2018, respectively. The experiment was conducted under randomized block design with 19 treatments and 4 replications in which irrigation and fertilizers were provided through drip system. There were different levels of drip irrigation (100, 80 and 60 per cent based on estimated irrigation water requirement) and fertigation (100, 80 and 60 percent of recommended dose fertilizer NPK) along with silver-black plastic mulch to standardize an appropriate level of irrigation as well as fertigation for proper growth and development of guava cv VNR Bihi in Tarai region. The results depicted that the treatment combination MDI2F1 i.e. mulch application with drip irrigation at 80 per cent level and fertigation at 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizer (225: 165: 150g NPK) was most superior with maximum plant height, plant girth, T.S.S. and acidity during the year 2017 as well as 2018, respectively.

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