Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth, Yield and Quality of Green Onion

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2021-22 at College of Horticulture, S. D. Agricultural University, Jagudan, Dist. Mehsana, Gujarat to study the effect of integrated nutrient management (INM) on the growth, yield and quality of green onion. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) replicated thrice with 16 nutrient management treatments of different organic, bio-enhancer sources and inorganic sources. The maximum plant height (45.39 cm) at 30 days after planting (DAP) and at harvest (60.60 cm); number of leaves plant-1 at 30 DAP (9.10) and at harvest (11.00) and neck thickness (1.65 cm) was observed with application of 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through vermicompost containing 1.12, 0.35 and 0.56% of N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively, applied at planting (4.46 t ha-1) with NPK consortia (2.5 L ha-1) i.e. T6, while, the effect of different integrated nutrient management practices on days taken for harvesting was found non-significant. Treatment T6 was also as good as the highest yield producing treatment. The maximum yield plant-1 (58.72 g), yield plot-1 (3.20 kg) and yield ha-1 (66.67 t) were obtained with application of 100% RDN through vermicompost + NPK consortia (T6). In case of quality parameters, the maximum chlorophyll content a, b and total chlorophyll, 0.92, 0.70 and 1.59 mg g-1, respectively and phosphorus uptake by plant (7.50 kg ha-1) were recorded with application of 100% RDN through vermicompost (4.46 t ha-1) with VAM (2.5 kg ha-1) i.e. T5. Combined application of organic sources of nutrients along-with NPK consortia improved the nutrient uptake by the crop. The maximum nitrogen uptake (16.75 kg ha-1) and potassium uptake (11.74 kg ha-1) were recorded with application of 100% RDN through vermicompost + NPK consortia (T6).