Vol. 11, Special Issue 11 (2022)

Author(s):
Moakala Changkiri, Aastik Jha, Nayan Kishor Adhikary and Satya Prakash Kanaujia

Abstract:
Sprouting broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) belonging to the family Brassicaceae is an important cole crop after cabbage and cauliflower. It is one of the most nutritious cole crops and contains vitamin A rather than 130 times and 22 times higher than cauliflower and cabbage. The field experiment was conducted under ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on vegetable crops, Department of Horticulture, School of Agricultural Sciences & Rural Development, Nagaland University, Medziphema campus, Nagaland during rabi season in the consecutive years 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. The experiment consisted with the combination of nine treatments in randomized block design and replicated three times. The pooled results of three years revealed that the highest growth, quality and yield parameters was observed in treatment T₇ (Vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha^-1 + ½ NPK through chemical fertilizer) with maximum no. of leaves (17.40), head length (16.74 cm), head width (16.04), gross head weight (464.16 g), net head weight (404.09 g) and net yield (147.31 q ha^-1) of broccoli which was found significantly superior over other treatments except T₃ (FYM @ 10 t ha^-1 + ½ NPK through fertilizer). However, due to very high cost involved in treatment T_7, vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha^-1 + ½ NPK through fertilizer in spite of recording maximum net yield, the B:C ratio was lower (2.27) as compared to treatment T₃ i.e., FYM @ 10 t ha^-1 + ½ NPK through fertilizer which recorded with B:C ratio 3.24. Overall, treatment T₃ i.e., FYM @ 10 t ha^-1 + ½ NPK through fertilizer performed better in all the parameters therefore this treatment can be recommended for cultivation of broccoli under acidic soil condition in Nagaland.