Impact of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth and Properties of Soil in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on sandy loam soil at Udai Pratap (Autonomous) College, Varanasi with sunflower, variety PSH-50 as test crop during Zaid season (2020-2021) to study the impact of integrated use of inorganic fertilizers, FYM and bio-fertilizers on performance of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and soil properties. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) with four replications. The treatments were T1 (control), T2 (50% RDF), T3 (100% RDF), T4 (125% RDF), T5 (50% RDF + 15 tons FYM ha-1 + PSB + Azotobacter), T6 (75% RDF +15 tons FYM ha-1 + PSB + Azotobacter) and T7 (100% RDF +15 tons FYM ha-1 + PSB + Azotobacter). It is evident from the results that maximum plant height, number of leaves, capitulum diameter, test weight and oil content were obtained with treatment T6 (75% RDF +15 tons FYM ha-1 + PSB + Azotobacter). It was also found that nutrient availability (NPKS) and nutrient uptake (NPKS) was also superior in treatment T6 (75% RDF +15 tons FYM ha-1 + PSB + Azotobacter).