INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN PAPAYA (CARICA PAPAYA L.) CV. SURYA

Abstract

Integrated nutrient management (INM) involves efficient and judicious supply of all major and micro components of plant nutrients including local available resources on sustainable basis. Papaya is known to be a heavy feeder of nutrients (NPK) and information regarding the effect of INM is rather rare. Hence, an experiment was conducted at Department of Horticulture, Allahabad Agricultural Institute-Deemed University, Allahabad during 2005-06 and 2006-07 to study the response of Integrated Nutrient Management on growth, yield and quality of papaya cv. Surya. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications. The treatments comprised of recommended fertilizers dose (RDF) i.e. N:P:K - 200:250: 250 g plant -1 , farmyard manure 50 kg plant -1 , vermicompost 20 kg plant -1 , poultry manure 20 kg plant -1 ; rhizosphere bacteria culture 50 g plant -1 alone and in combination with reduced levels of RDF viz. 75 and 50%. The yield of papaya was statistically at par with 75% recommended fertilizers rate + 25% vermicompost + rhizosphere bacteria culture in comparison to control (recommended fertilizers dose). Quality parameters of the fruits were found to increase with decreasing level of chemical fertilizers. Maximum number of leaves (18.73), trunk girth (0.26 m), number of fruits per plant (46), average fruit weight (0.85 kg), pulp thickness (3.5 cm), shelf life of fruit (12 days), vitamin A (2280 IU/100 g pulp) and TSS (15.8°Brix) were recorded with 75% RDF + 25% vermicompost + rhizosphere bacteria culture treatment, while maximum plant height (185.35 cm) and petiole length (8.42 cm) were associated with 100% RDF alone. The treatment of 75% RDF + 25% vermicompost + rhizosphere bacteria culture was found superior and economically viable than rest of the treatments.