Use of organic manures in combination with Azotobacter in strawberry: effect on growth, yield and quality attributes

Abstract

The use of organic manures and biofertilizers as a nutrient source is a sustainable production method to improve crop yield and quality. A pot experiment was conducted during the year 2017–18 and 2018–19 at hi-tech greenhouse of the Department of Horticulture, Choudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar, Haryana (India) with comprised of nine treatments, viz., Sand: FYM (3:1), Sand: FYM (2:1), Sand: Vermicompost (3:1), Sand: Vermicompost (2:1), Sand: FYM (3:1) + Azotobacter, Sand: FYM (2:1) + Azotobacter, Sand: Vermicompost (3:1) + Azotobacter, Sand: Vermicompost (2:1) + Azotobacter and Control (Sand), in a complete randomized design with five replications, over a two-growing seasons. Plants supplied with Sand: Vermicompost (2:1) + Azotobacter inoculation recorded higher plant growth, fruit yield, which was at par with Sand: Vermicompost (3:1) + Azotobacter inoculation than other combination. Maximum TSS, vitamin C and anthocyanin content were observed under the treatment combination of sand: vermicompost (2:1) + Azotobacter inoculation in comparison with other treatments. The results demonstrated that there will be a significant improvement in growth, yield and quality attributes of strawberry, when plats supplied with organic manure in combination of Azotobacter inoculation than without manure and biofertilizer inoculation.