Effect of Cow Urine Foliar Spray on Quality Attributes and Chemical Characteristics of Byadgi chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) in a Vertisol

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2018 in the farmer’s field at Agadi village (Tq: Hubballi) in Dharwad district to investigate the “Effect of cow urine foliar spray on quality attributes and chemical characteristics of Byadgi chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) in a Vertisol”. Experiment consisted of 12 treatments with three replications laid out in Completely Randomized Block Design. Results revealed that, two foliar applications of 15 per cent cow urine one each at 60 and 90 DAT recorded highest colour value (201.65 ASTA units), closely followed by treatment that received two sprays of 10 per cent cow urine on 60 + 90 DAT (194.50 ASTA units). Highest oleoresin content (20.23%) was noticed in the treatment that received 15 per cent cow urine spray on 60 + 90 DAT which was on par with treatment that received two sprays of 10 per cent cow urine (19.56%). Highest capsaicin content (0.16%) was recorded in the treatment that received 15 % cow urine spray at 60 DAT as well as cow urine spray at 60 DAT + 90 DAT and also 50 ppm NAA spray at 60 DAT. Foliar spray of cow urine did not significantly influenced the total ash, total sugars and total ether extract contents in fruits which ranged from 5.95 to 6.96, 18.20 to 19.89 and 14.10 to 15.20 per cent respectively. Treatment that received one spray of 15 per cent cow urine on 90 DAT recorded numerically highest (6.96%) total ash closely followed by treatment (6.83%) that received five per cent foliar spray at 60 + 90 DAT. Treatment that received two sprays of 15 per cent cow urine recorded numerically highest (19.89%) total sugars closely followed by treatment (19.78%) that received 5 per cent foliar spray at 90 DAT. Treatment that received two sprays of 10 per cent cow urine recorded highest total ether extract (15.20%) closely followed by treatment (14.93%) that received 5 per cent foliar spray at 60 + 90 DAT.