Vol. 11, Issue 3 (2022)

Author(s):
PM Patel, AK Saini, JS Desai and PD Patel

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2020-21 on loamy sand of Agronomy Instructional Farm, Chimanbhai Patel College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat to assess the impact of vermicompost, biofertilizer and nitrogen levels on growth, yield and economics of mustard. The soil was low in organic carbon (0.17%) and available nitrogen (168 kg/ha), medium in available phosphorus (35.6 kg/ha) and high in potassium (251 kg/ha). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (factorial concept) and replicated thrice. Twelve treatment combinations consisting three levels of vermicompost, two levels of biofertilizer and two levels of nitrogen were embedded. The results indicated that significantly higher yield parameters viz., number of siliquae per plant (258.70, 244.48, 249.13), number of seeds per siliqua (13.05, 12.38, 12.63), length of siliqua (5.33, 5.13, 5.20 cm) and test weight (5.07, 4.99, 5.03 g) with application of 2 t/ha vermicompost, Azotobacter chroococcum inoculation @ 5 ml/kg seed and 100% RDN, individually. Combined application of 2 t/ha vermicompost + 100% RDN produced significantly higher seed yield (2104 kg/ha) and stover yield (4475 kg/ha) being at par with treatment combination 1 t/ha vermicompost + 100% RDN and 2 t/ha vermicompost + 75% RDN. Thus, it is concluded that for securing higher yield mustard crop should be fertilized with 50 kg nitrogen per ha (three splits, i.e. 50% as basal and 25% each after 25 and 55 DAS) along with 1 t/ha vermicompost and 50 kg phosphorus per ha as basal in loamy sand.