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Drip irrigation in Anantapur mango orchards Photo: Sound Designer S.K Pramanik · Pexels License · source ↗

Drip irrigation in Anantapur mango orchards

Anantapur, Kadiri, Kalyandurg and Madakasira mandals carry an expanding mango belt — predominantly Banganapalli (Beneshan) for table fruit and Totapuri for pulp processing — planted on shallow red loams with 500-600 mm annual rainfall. Drip irrigation is now the default water-delivery system for these orchards because gravity flow is impossible on undulating land and groundwater is too costly to flood-irrigate.

Principle

Mango is sensitive to (a) waterlogging in the basin during flowering and (b) moisture stress during fruit set and bulking (March-May in Anantapur). Drip delivers small, daily quantities of water directly to the rooting zone of each tree through pressure-compensating emitters laid on lateral pipes. On Anantapur chalka soils this matches the low water-holding capacity of the profile, prevents canopy stress that triggers fruit drop, and reduces total seasonal water use by 40-60% compared with basin flooding.

Layout and schedule

YSRHU and ICAR-IIHR recommend the following for an Anantapur Banganapalli orchard at 8 x 8 m spacing:

  • Emitters: 4 emitters per tree in years 1-3, scaled up to 6-8 emitters per tree from year 4 onward; pressure-compensating drippers at 4-8 LPH.
  • Lateral: 16 mm laterals along each row; submains 32-40 mm; mainline 50-63 mm.
  • Filtration: hydrocyclone + sand + disc/screen filter — required because most Anantapur bore water carries silt and iron.
  • Daily water requirement: 30-50 litres/tree in years 1-3; 80-120 litres/tree in years 4-7; 150-200 litres/tree at full bearing in summer months.
  • Schedule: daily during March-May (peak demand), alternate-day in October-February, weekly during monsoon months when soil moisture is adequate.

Fertigation and crop response

Drip is usually paired with venturi-injected or fertiliser-tank fertigation (drip fertigation in orchards) of urea, MOP and water-soluble NPK 19:19:19 in weekly splits. Trials at YSRHU-Anantharajupeta and on commercial orchards in Kadiri report 25-40% higher yields and 8-15% higher TSS (sweetness) in Banganapalli on drip + fertigation compared with basin flooding. Totapuri orchards supplying the Chittoor pulp plants follow similar schedules with higher emitter capacity to support pulp-grade fruit size.

Where it applies

  • New plantings in Anantapur, Kadiri, Kalyandurg, Madakasira and Penukonda mandals
  • Replanted or rejuvenated old orchards under MIDH and APMIP support
  • Mixed orchards integrating mango with intercrops of papaya, custard apple or vegetables in the first 4 years

Limitations

Capital cost runs Rs 60,000-90,000 per acre after APMIP subsidy. Emitter clogging from iron-rich, hard bore water is the dominant maintenance failure mode; acid washes and chlorine flushing must be scheduled monthly. Power outages disrupt the daily schedule and tree-by-tree solar pumps remain expensive for smallholders. Damage by langurs, rodents and cattle to laterals is a chronic problem.

See also: APMIP, PMKSY, Drip irrigation, Drip fertigation in orchards, Banganapalli mango, Totapuri mango.

Sources

  1. Drip irrigation in mango. ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research.
  2. Per Drop More Crop guidelines. PMKSY / Ministry of Jal Shakti.
  3. Banganapalli mango drip schedule. Dr YSR Horticultural University.