FERTILIZER USE EFFICIENCY AND SOIL NUTRIENT DYNAMICS UNDER VARYING LEVELS OF FERTIGATION SCHEDULES IN COCOA (Theobroma cacao L.) CULTIVATION ON ALFISOL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/abr.2026.28.01.22Keywords:
Cocoa, fertigation, fertilizer use efficiency, soil nutrient dynamics, yieldAbstract
A field study was conducted to evaluate the fertilizer use efficiency, soil nutrient dynamics and yield of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) under different levels of fertigation. The study compared different nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) application rates and methods, including conventional soil application and drip fertigation with both water-soluble and normal fertilizers. The results demonstrated that fertigation treatments significantly influenced the soil nutrient levels. Specifically, the application of 125% of recommended fertilizer dose [RFD] (125:50:175 g plant-1 year-1) as water-soluble fertilizers through drip irrigation consistently resulted in highest soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents across the vegetative, flowering, pod set, and harvesting stages of crop growth. Available nitrogen and potassium contents showed a slight decrease with increasing soil depth (0- 15 cm to 30-45 cm). However, drip fertigation with water-soluble fertilizers maximized available phosphorus at 30-45 cm depth. The findings suggest that drip fertigation with water-soluble fertilizers at 125% RDF enhances soil nutrient availability and distribution, leading to improved nutrient use efficiency in cocoa cultivation. The study recommends the adoption of appropriate fertigation strategy for optimizing the soil fertility during cocoa production under Alfisol conditions.
Downloads
References
Achat DL, Bakker MR, Morel C. 2009. Decoupling the effects of beech and spruce on soil solution chemistry using a paired-site approach. Eur J Soil Sci. 60(4):674–687.
Bandyopadhyay A, Ghosh DK, Biswas B, Halli Parameswarappa M, Timsina J. 2019. Fertigation effects on productivity, and soil and plant nutrition of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia. Int J Fruit Sci. 19(1):57–74.
Ben-Gal A, Dudley LM, Hanks RJ. 2003. Phosphorus availability under continuous point source irrigation. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 67(5):1449–1456.
Bhattarai R, Huber F, Midmore DJ. 2018. Effects of drip irrigation and fertigation on tomato yield and nitrogen use efficiency under subtropical conditions. Agric Water Manag. 207:196–203.
Fan Y, Hao X, Ding R, Kang S. 2020. Soil water and nitrogen dynamics from interaction of irrigation and fertilization management practices in a greenhouse vegetable rotation. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 84(3):901–913.
Goudsmit E, Rozendaal DM, Tosto A, Slingerland M. 2023. Effects of fertilizer application on cacao pod development, pod nutrient content and yield. Sci Hortic. 313:111869. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2023.111869.
Grewal HS, Khera R. 2018. Phosphorus dynamics and uptake under drip fertigation in vegetable crops: A review. J Plant Nutr. 41(1):1–20.
Guo Y, Wang Z, Li J. 2023. Coupling effects of phosphate fertilizer type and drip fertigation strategy on soil nutrient distribution, maize yield and nutrient uptake. Agric Water Manag. 290:108602. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2023.108602.
Hanway JJ, Heidal H. 1952. Soil analysis methods as used in Iowa State College Soil Testing Laboratory. Iowa Agric Exp Stn Bull. 39(4):101–131.
Just BS, Singh J, Sidhu HS, Kumar B, Jat ML. 2024. Biofertilization increases soil organic carbon concentrations: Results of a meta-analysis. Int J Agric Sustain. 22(1):1–16.
Kurniawan S, Nugroho RMYAP, Ustiatik R, Nita I, Nugroho GA, Prayogo C, et al. 2024. Soil nitrogen dynamics affected by coffee (Coffea arabica) canopy and fertilizer management in coffee-based agroforestry. Agrofor Syst. 98(6):1323–1341.
Laganière J, Angers DA, Paré D. 2010. Carbon accumulation in soils under forests and cultivated lands: A global data synthesis. Glob Change Biol. 16(1):439–453.
Lavanya N, Narayana PL, Devi KS, Jayasree G, Prayaga L. 2026. Impact of drip irrigation and tailored fertigation scheduling on yield and water use efficiency of high-density summer sweet corn. Front Sustain Food Syst. 10:1812228. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2026.1812228.
Manivannan N. 2011. TNAUSTAT - Statistical Package. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Mohammed G, Siebers N, Merbach I, Seidel SJ, Herbst M. 2024. Simulation of soil phosphorus dynamics and crop yield for organic and mineral fertilization treatments at two long-term field sites. Sci Total Environ. 957:177517. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177517.
Mote KJ, Gokavi N, Babou C, Mukharib DS, Rudragouda, Govindappa M, et al. 2024. Effect of fertigation levels on fertilizer use efficiency, yield, quality and economics of Robusta coffee. Irrig Drain. 73(1):89–101.
Niu LA, Hao JM. 2017. Impacts of fertilizer application rates on phosphorus dynamics in salt-affected soil. Plant Soil Environ. 63(10):468–474.
Olsen SR, Cole CV, Watanabe FS, Dean LA. 1954. Estimation of Available Phosphorus in Soils by Extraction with Sodium Bicarbonate. No. 939. US Department of Agriculture, Washington, USA.
Panse VG, Sukhatme PV. 1978. Statistical Methods for Agricultural Workers. 2nd ed. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India.
Paul KI, Polglase PJ, Nyakuengama E, Khanna PK. 2002. Change in soil carbon following afforestation or reforestation. For Ecol Manag. 168(1):241–257.
Ravanachandar A, Vaidehi G, Prakash K, Gopu B, Sudhakaran M. 2025. Fertigation effects on productivity, soil nutrients and microbial population of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) plantation in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. Plant Sci Today. 12(sp4):1–8. doi:10.14719/pst.10868.
Reethika D, Baskar K, Elayarajan M, Bhakiyathu Saliha B, Ravikumar V, Manoharan S. 2025. Optimizing fertigation to enhance potassium use efficiency in cotton. Plant Sci Today. 12(1):1–9.
Rezaei M, Bazargan K, Shahbazi K, Marzi M, Cheraghi M. 2025. Modelling phosphorus and potassium dynamics in drip-irrigated potato systems using coupled agro-hydrological model. Agric Water Manag. 321:109920. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109920.
Sathya S, James Pitchai G, Indirani R, Kannathasan M. 2008. Effect of fertigation on availability of nutrients (N, P and K) in soil: A review. Agric Rev. 29(3):214–219.
Sivakumar V. 2007. Studies on Influence of Drip Irrigation Regimes and Fertigation Levels on Mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Ratna Under High Density Planting. PhD (Hort.) thesis. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.
Smith JP, Jones KL. 2022. The role of fertigation in sustainable agriculture: Current status and future perspectives. Adv Agron. 175:121–189.
Subbiah BV, Asija GL. 1956. A rapid procedure for the estimation of available nitrogen in soils. Curr Sci. 25(8):259–260.
Sudhakaran M, Kokila M, Ravanachandar A. 2023. Influence of enzyme activities on stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) and nutrient cycles in semi-arid agricultural soils. J Indian Soc Soil Sci. 71(2):150–158.
Sudhakaran M, Ramamoorthy D, Savitha V, Balamurugan S. 2018. Organic carbon stock and its relationship with soil properties in coastal agroecosystem of Puducherry, India. J Indian Soc Coastal Agric Res. 36(1):11–17.
Sureshkumar P. 2000. Performance Evaluation of Drip Fertigation System with Water Soluble Fertilizers on Water and Fertilizer Use and Yield in Hybrid Capsicum (Capsicum annuum var. grossum). MSc (Agri.) thesis. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.
TNAU. 2004. Crop Production Techniques of Horticultural Crops. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore/Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Walkley A, Black IA. 1934. An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci. 37(1):29–38.
Zhang F, Wang D, Zhang S, Li H, Chen X. 2017. Water and potassium distribution under different drip irrigation regimes and potassium application rates in greenhouse cucumber. Agric Water Manag. 193:1–11.
