NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN FENNEL (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) THROUGH ORGANICS
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Date
2015-08
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University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot. (College of Horticulture, Bengaluru).
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted to study the impact of organic manures, inorganic fertilizers and biofertilizers on growth, yield and quality of fennel during rabi season of 2014-15 at College of Horticulture, UHS Campus, GKVK, Bengaluru-65. There were eight treatments replicated four times in a RCBD Design.
Organic manures significantly improved the growth, yield, and quality of fennel and also improved the soil chemical properties and biological activity. Application of 75 per cent RDF through FYM + Azotobactor + Azospirillum + VAM recorded maximum values for number of branches per plant (20.7), fresh (15.88 g) and dry weight (5.45 g) of umbel, umbels per plant (19.03), umbellets per umbel (25.65), seeds per umbellet (25.65), biological yield (19.80 t ha-1), seed yield (38 q ha-1) and essential oil yield (64.13 kg ha-1). The plants supplied with 75 per cent RDF through FYM + 25 per cent through vermicompost, recorded maximum essential oil content (1.73 %). While, the maximum trans-anethole content (76.87 %) was observed in plants raised from 100 per cent RDF through FYM. Highest gross and net returns (Rs. 285185 ha-1 and Rs. 231036 ha-1, respectively) were obtained from the crop applied with 75 per cent RDF through FYM + Azotobactor + Azospirillum + VAM.
The results indicated that, fennel could be cultivated profitably under Bangalore conditions by applying 67.5 kg nitrogen through FYM + Azospirillum + Azotobactor + VAM each at 20 kg ha-1, considering the yield, quality, economics and soil health.