Prakash Gyawali1*, Kanhaiya Prasad Singh1 , Rukmagat Pathak1 and Bishnu Prasad Bhattarai2
1 Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
2 National Tea and Coffee Development Board, Kathmandu, Nepal.
* Corresponding Author’s Email: prakashgyawali1992@gmail.com
* Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9312-566X
Received on: 26 November, 2021 Revised on: 7 April, 2022 Accepeted on: 6 May, 2022
Abstract
The integrated nutrient management approach addresses the issues arising from the irrational use of chemical fertilizers such as soil quality degradation, and the unsustainability of productivity and profitability. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the integrated nutrient management approach on the growth, yield, and economics of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var botrytis cv. Khumal Jyapu), through a field experiment in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications and seven treatments- 50% NPK + 6.90 Mt ha-1 vermicompost, 75% NPK + 3.45 Mt ha-1 vermicompost, 50% NPK + 3.75 Mt ha-1 poultry manure, 75% NPK + 1.88 Mt ha-1 poultry manure, 50% NPK + 20.80 Mt ha-1 farmyard manure, 75% NPK + 10.40 Mt ha-1 farmyard manure and 100% recommended NPK, 200:120:80 kg NPK ha-1 as the control. Among the tested treatments, organic and inorganic nutrient sources, in combination, recorded a significant influence on growth and yieldattributing characters as compared to sole inorganic treatment. 50% NPK + 6.9 Mt ha-1 vermicompost recorded highest height (63.33 cm), earliest harvest (73.67 days), largest curd diameter (16.83 cm), highest curd weight (680.53 g), biomass (1384.79 g), curd yield (25.2 Mt ha-1 ), gross margin (NRs.10,08,000 ha-1 ), net return (NRs. 6,91,944 ha-1 ) and B:C ratio (3.19). Desirable growth parameters, higher yield, cost-effectiveness, and profitability from 50% NPK + 6.90 Mt ha-1 vermicompost show that the use of vermicompost is economically viable. Results also show that farmers can reduce chemical fertilizer costs by up to 50% using vermicompost without affecting profitability.
Keywords: organic manure, production, profitability, vermicompost