Assessment of Protein, Total Soluble Solids and Economic Indices in Garden Pea as Influenced by Micronutrients and Liquid Organic Manures

Abstract

Garden pea is a nutrient rich cool season vegetable crop playing a key role in human nutrition and soil fertility enhancement through biological nitrogen fixation. However, its productivity and quality in many semi-arid regions of India remain sub optimal due to imbalanced nutrient management, underutilization of essential micronutrients and declining organic matter in soils. The excessive reliance on chemical fertilizers has further led to soil degradation and reduced quality while the potential of cost-effective eco-friendly inputs such as liquid organic manures remain largely untapped.  Addressing these constraints, the present study was conducted during the Rabi season of 2022-23 and 2023-24 at the Department of Horticulture, Rajasthan Agriculture Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur to evaluate the influence of foliar applied micronutrients and liquid manures on the quality traits and economic indices of garden pea cv. Azad P-3. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomised block design including 4 micronutrients (ZnSO4 @ 0.5%, FeSO4 @ 3%, MgSO4 @ 0.5% and Ammonium molybdate @ 0.1%) and three liquid manures (Panchgavya @ 4%, Vermiwash @ 10% and Jeevamrit @ 500 litre per hectare) along with a control applied at 30 and 45 days after sowing. The results revealed that ZnSO4 @ 0.5% recorded the highest protein content (6.95%) and T.S.S. (13.10°Brix). While Jeevamrit @ 500 litres/ha led among liquid manures (Protein 6.68% and T.S.S. 12.69 °Brix). Economically ZnSO4 @ 0.5% achieved the maximum gross return (Rs. 284479/ha), net returns (Rs. 211292/ha) and B:C ratio (2.88). Jeevamrit @500 litre/ha with gross return (Rs. 273735/ha), net returns (Rs. 198689/ha) and B:C ratio (2.65) also delivered superior economic returns among organic inputs. These findings highlight the integrated targeted micronutrient foliar sprays (ZnSO4 @ 0.5%) with organic manure (Jeevamrit @500 litre/ha) can sustainably enhance garden pea quality and profitability under semi-arid conditions.