M. Basnet S.M. Shakya
National Ginger Research Program, Nepal Agriculture Research Council, Salyan, Nepal
Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Chitwan, Nepal

DOI

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted at Department of Horticulture and Floriculture Management, Fulgaachi, Ilam during Oct, 2013 to April, 2014 with the aim to determine appropriate organic manure for the optimal cauliflower yield. The effect of five organic manures, viz., bansoon (14.4 mt ha-1), poultry manure (14.4mt ha-1), mustard oil cake (8.0 mt ha-1), farmyard manure (18 t ha-1), and vermicompost (11.4 mt ha-1) were evaluated on the performance of Kathmandu Local cultivar- laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The performance of vermi-compost was found promising as compared to other tested manures. Measured parameters i.e. plant height, stem diameter and leaf number, length were significantly highest at the vermi-compost as compared to other manures. The maximum biological yield of 54.06 mt ha–1 was recorded with vermi-compost and found to be minimum with farmyard manure, 28.73 mt ha–1. Both root length (37.46 cm) and root weight (169.13 g plant-1) found to be highest with vermi-compost and lowest root length (23.47 cm) and root weight (130.30 g plant-1) were recorded with farmyard manure. Similarly, the curd diameter was significantly highest (20.99 cm) with vermi-compost and lowest at bansoon (15.43 cm). The significant variation on curd yield was found to be highest with vermi-compost with highest curd yield (12.94 t ha-1) and the lowest curd yield (5.64 t ha-1) recorded on farm yard manure application. Curd initiation and curd maturity observed earlier i.e. 64 and 89 days after transplanting respectively with vermi-compost application, whereas the longest days to curd initiation (78 days) and curd maturity (103 days) was recorded with farmyard manure. In addition, BC ratio was found highest (4.31) with vermi-compost treatment whereas the lowest (1.8) found with farm yard manure treatment. A on-farm verification study is needed to recommend vermicompost as an alternatives for organic cauliflower production for eastern mid hill of Nepal.