Biodynamics enriched organic amendments in improving leaf and soil nutrition of Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco)

Abstract

Biodynamics is a holistic, and ecological approach in organic farming which emphasizes building up the soil. The present experiment studied effect of biodynamics enriched organic amendments on yield attributing characters and yield, leaf and soil nutrition of Khasi mandarin. The experiment comprised of eleven treatments viz. T1: Farm yard manure (FYM), T2: vermicompost (VC), T3: Pig manure (PIM), T4: Poultry manure (POM), T5: Neem cake (NC), T6: FYM + Cow Pat Pit (CPP) + Bio Dynamic (BD) 500 + BD 501, T7: VC + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501, T8: PIM + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501, T9: POM + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501, T10: NC + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501 and T11: control (RDF). Results revealed that the highest increment in N-S, E-W spread (0.28 and 0.29 m), canopy volume (4.79 m3), leaf total N (2.43%), K (1.96%), Fe (274.97 ppm), Mn (26.84 ppm), Cu (11.08 ppm) chlorophyll a (1.52 mg/g), chrolophyll b (0.60 mg/g), total chlorophyll (2.12 mg/g), soil organic carbon (7.29 g kg−1), inorganic carbon (2.23 g kg−1), total carbon (9.52 g kg−1), total N (0.681 g kg−1), available N (643.86 kg ha−1), P (87.06 kg ha−1), K (206.34 kg ha−1), Fe (62.12 ppm), Mn (28.95 ppm), Cu (2.66 ppm), Zn (2.20 ppm), bacteria (53.92 × 104 CFU/g) and fungi (44.79 × 104 CFU/g) was recorded with T7. Hence, T7 is most effective biodynamics enriched organic amendment in leaf and soil nutrition of Khasi mandarin.