Effect of Organic Foliar Nutrition on Growth and Yield of Garden Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Abstract

Background: The garden pea (Pisum sativum L.), an important crop in the north-eastern region's agricultural environment, provides nitrogen to subsequent crops in rotation and eliminating the need for extra fertilizers. However, overuse of inorganic fertilizers harms soil health by depleting beneficial organisms and hindering natural nutrient renewal. Aim: To promote sustainable agriculture, this study looked at the effect of organic foliar nutrition on garden pea development and production during the 2023–24 rabi season at the Experimental Field, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Iroisemba, CAU, Imphal, Manipur, India. Methods: The experiment was conducted using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with eight treatments, each replicated three times. The treatments were: T1: Jeevamrutha @3% at 20, 40 and 60 DAS, T2 : Panchagavya @3% at 20, 40 and 60 DAS, T3 : Jeevamrutha @5% at 20, 40 and 60 DAS, T4 : Panchagavya @5% at 20, 40 and 60 DAS, T5 : Jeevamrutha @7% at 20, 40 and 60 DAS, T6 : Panchagavya @7% at 20, 40 and 60 DAS, T7 : RDF @ N:P:K 20:60:40 kg/ha and T8 : Control (Water Spray). Results: The study evaluated the effect of organic foliar nutrition using Panchagavya and Jeevamrutha on the growth, yield, and economic returns of garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) during the 2023-24 rabi season in Imphal, India. The experiment conducted in a Randomized Block Design with eight treatments, showed that chemical fertilizer (RDF) produced the highest yield, while Panchagavya at 7% applied at 20, 40, and 60 DAS produced comparable growth and yield performance. Conclusion: The results indicated that the application of Panchagavya @7% at 20, 40, and 60 DAS achieved the highest benefit cost ratio (1.74), suggesting it as a profitable and sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers in garden pea cultivation.