Comparative performance of organic and inorganic fertilizers on plant growth, head yield, soil health and severity of black rot in sprouting broccoli cv Green Head

Sustainable vegetable production, soil health management and low cost production technology are the main issues getting attension in the last few decades. Therefore two years’ field experiments were conducted at the experimental farm of Department of Vegetable Science, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, HP during Rabi season of 2011-12 and 2012-13 to assess the comparative performance of organic and inorganic fertilizers and integrated nutrient management on growth, head yield, soil health and severity of black rot in sprouting broccoli cv Green Head. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design having twenty five treatments comprising organic (FYM, neem manure and vermicompost), inorganic (N, P and K), biofertilizers (Azotobacter and PSB) and integrated nutrient management (complementary use of organics, biofertilizers and inorganic fertilizers) with three replications. The pooled analysis revealed that head yield was  maximum with the treatment combination of biofertilizers with recommended dose of fertilizers whereas plant height at maturity, number of leaves per plant, available soil nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were exhibited significantly higher in treatment combination of 33.3 per cent recommended dose of fertilizers + 33.3 per cent farmyard manure + 33.3 per cent vermicompost + biofertilizers. Minimum days taken to 50 per cent heading and lesser severity of black rot were also recorded in the same treatment.