Fertigation response of Abelmoschus esculentus L. (Okra) with sugar mill effluent in two different seasons

The fertigation response of sugar mill effluent doses namely: 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% on Abelmoschus esculentus (var. IHR 31) in two different seasons, that is, rainy (Kharif) and summer (Zaid) seasons was investigated. The study revealed that fertigant had significant (P<0.01) effect on moisture content, EC, pH, Cl , OC, HCO3 , CO3 -2 , Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Fe 2+ , TKN, NO3 2, PO4 3, SO4 2, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn and Zn and insignificant (P>0.05) effect on WHC and bulk density of the soil in both seasons. Fertigation with 100% sugar mill effluent concentration decreased moisture content (18.84-22.69%), WHC (13.26-15.61%), BD (1.40%) and pH (16.66-17.28%), and increased EC (84.13-86.47%), OC (3811.623961.90%), Na + (273.00-302.59%), K + (31.59-33.14%), Ca 2+ (729.76-788.31%), Mg 2+ (740.47-805.12%), TKN (1390.63-1445.54%), PO4 3(337.79-346.52%), SO4 2(77.78-81.07%), Fe 2+ (301.90-345.26%), Cd (437.73565.00%), Cu (417.57-419.13%), Pb (1487.50-1706.66%), Mn (1365.38-1382.52%) and Zn (333.33-348.32%) in the soil used for the cultivation of A. esculentus in both seasons. The agronomical performance of A. esculentus was recorded to be in increasing order from 5 to 25% in both the Kharif and Zaid season when compared to the control. The accumulation of heavy metals was increased in the soil as A. esculentus increased from 5 to 100% concentrations in both cultivated seasons. The contamination factor (Cf) of various heavy metals was in the order of Mn>Cd>Cu>Zn>Pb for soil and Cu>Mn>Zn>Cd>Pb for A. esculentus in both the Kharif and Zaid season after fertigation with sugar mill effluent.