Field experiments were carried out at the Horticultural Experiment Station, Bangalore, India, during 2004-2006, to study the response of mango to irrigation and fertigation levels. Fruit number and fruit yields were higher with 50% Evaporation Replenishment rate (ER) as compared to 25% ER. The yield differences between 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) and 75% RDF were not significant. The response surface models fitted to the yield data indicated an optimum ER of 42% and RDF of 62%.

India is the largest producer of mango in the world, yet the productivity per unit area is very low at 6.2 t/ha (Anonymous, 2006). Poor orchard management, irregular or no irrigation, arbitrary nutrient applications and lack of target plant protection practices are some of the major reasons attributed to lower productivity of mango. Mango fertilization is usually done in one or two splits as soil application during the rainy season. Drip irrigation as a means to improve the mango orchards is gaining popularity because of its additional advantage of reducing the fruit drop and increasing the fruit set, thereby improving the overall productivity of mango. Fertigation is another option to increase the nutrient use efficiency, as the nutrients are supplied in small quantities at regular intervals, thereby reducing the leaching losses. The benefits of fertigation in reducing the fertilizer use in crops like banana, citrus, etc., are well documented (Srinivas, 1997; and Shirgure et al., 2001). Optimum irrigation scheduling and fertigation assumes special significance in mango production system for increasing the overall productivity.

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