OPTIMISING VEGETATIVE GROWTH IN SPROUTING BROCCOLI THROUGH INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABILITYPranjal Singh, Sanjive Kumar Singh, Ram Batuk Singh, Ashutosh Upadhyay and Bankey LalAbstract As a sustainable approach to nutrient management, soil application of organic and inorganic fertilizers in an integrated manner can enhance the growth parameters of sprouting broccoli. In this context, a field experiment was conducted with broccoli Var. Green Magic at the Research Farm of the Department of Vegetable Science, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur U.P during the Rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23 with the objective to study the effect of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) on the vegetative growth of sprouting broccoli. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with fourteen treatments in three replications. The required quantity of NPK as per the recommended dose of fertilizer, farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost and biofertilizers were added to the soil at the time of bed preparation. The results revealed that the treatment, T11: 50% RDF + 50% N through Vermicompost + Biofertilizer, outperformed all the other treatments in terms of all the growth parameters. The plots administered with this treatment demonstrated more number of leaves per plant, with greater leaf lengths and wider leaves. Therefore, this approach can be considered a highly favourable alternative to the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers, which can deplete soil nutrition and quality in an uncontrolled manner. |