Respuesta del papayo al riego y a la fertilizacion N-P-K en un Vertisol

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of drip irrigation and N-P-K fertilization under fertirrigation, and conventional furrow irrigation system and soil N-P-K fertilization, on yield, water use efficiency and economic productivity of papaya (Carica papaya L.), cv. Maradol, grown in a Vertisol of Apatzingan Valley, Michoacan, Mexico. The drip irrigation and N-P-K fertilization under fertirrigation system contained one- and two-drip lines and three fertilizer levels of 220-30-160, 250-40-180, and 280-50-200 kg ha(-1) of N-P2O5-K2O. The conventional furrow irrigation system and soil fertilizer application contained 200-100-200 kg ha(-1) of N-P2O5-K2O. The average yield under irrigation with two-drip lines system was 30.4 t ha(-1), with one-drip line system 19.6 t ha(-1), and with conventional system 13.3 t ha(-1). The concentration of K in plant under drip and furrow irrigation and fertilization systems was low, the concentration of Ca and B was high, and the concentration of N, P, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn was within sufficiency range. The water use efficiency was found to be similar for the one- and two-drip lines irrigation systems, with values of 37.3 and 40.6 kg mm(-1) ha(-1), respectively, whereas for the conventional irrigation system, the value was 17.6 kg mm(-1) ha(-1). The one- and two-drip lines irrigation systems had similar mean total costs, of 49 148 and 50 920 Mexican pesos ha(-1), respectively, and the conventional irrigation system had a total cost of 33 912 pesos ha(-1). The net income and capital return rates were 58 742 pesos ha(-1) and 115.5% for the two-drip lines irrigation system, respectively, 21 207 pesos ha(-1) and 43.1% for the one-drip hose irrigation system, respectively, and 30 123 pesos ha(-1) and 88.8% for the conventional irrigation system, respectively.