Effects of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield, quality and economics of sprouting broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) cv. Shayali

A field experiment was conducted in the research farm of All India Coordinated Research Project on Vegetable, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar during 2014-15 to study the integrated nutrient management in Sprouting Broccoli cv. Shayali for growth, yield, quality and economics in a randomised block design with 10 treatments. The soil test based recommended fertiliser dose applied was NPK @ 200: 50: 150 kg/ha. The Treatment, T7 i.e., 50% NPK + Vermicompost @2.5t/ha recorded maximum values for plant height (51.56cm), plant spread N-S (61.63cm) and E-W (64.91cm), number of leaves per plant (22.27), leaf area (405.45cm2), leaf length (23.15cm), leaf width (18.18cm), days to 50% head initiation (50.67days) and days to first harvest (51.00). The treatment, T7 also recorded highest head girth (42.76cm), head diameter (14.16cm), terminal head weight (327.57g), head volume (595.67cc), gross yield (233.56q/ha), marketable yield (163.63q/ha), vitamin C (80.24mg/g), dry matter (11.77%), gross returns (Rs.700680.00/ha ), net returns (Rs. 525510.00/ha) and benefit cost ratio (4.0). This was followed by treatment T9 (50% NPK +poultry manure @ 2.5t/ha). Among all the treatments, the Treatment T7 i.e., application of 50% recommended dose of NPK/ha with 2.5 tonnes of vermicompost in sprouting broccoli was found to be the best for obtaining better growth, optimum yield, better quality produce, highest net returns as well as cost benefit ratio and is recommended for Odisha condition.