Impact of organic manures on the growth and yield of cauliflower

Abstract

Organic manures are made from natural materials such as plant leftovers, manure, and compost. They provide a comprehensive method of enhancing soil. Adding organic matter improves the structure of the soil, encourages microbial activity and releases nutrients gradually. Organic farming produces legumebased cropping systems with decreased carbon and nitrogen losses. This indicates improved soil health, which is essential for healthy cauliflower development. In the Rabi season of 2023–2024, the current experiment, “Impact of organic manures on the growth and yield of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis),” was carried out at the Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture (AIOA), Amity University, Sec.126, Noida (U.P.), India. The sandy loam soil in the experimental field has a pH of 8.2, making it rather alkaline in nature. Several nutrients are applied during the trial, including poultry manure, vermicompost, farm yard manure, and azotobacter. The experimental field’s structure was established using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Suggested dosage for vermicompost (T2), poultry manure (T3), farm yard manure (FYM) (T1), poultry manure + azotobacter (T4), vermicompost + azotobacter (T5), and control (T6). Findings showed that, in comparison to all other treatments, the treatment of [vermicompost + azotobacter (T4)] produced the highest plant height (36.37 cm), number of leaves (21.00), leaf area (529.42 cm2), curd diameter (19.22 cm), curd weight (1.30 kg), yield per plot (11.50 kg/plot), and total yield (16.43 t/ha).