EFFECT OF INDIGENOUS POTASSIUM SOURCES ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF CAULIFLOWER (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)
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Date
2021-11
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University of Horticultural Sciences Bagalkot. (College of Horticulture, Bagalkot).
Abstract
A field experiment was carried out using RBD design with 10 treatments and 3
replications at the main campus, UHS, Bagalkote during 2020-21. Sugar industry byproducts such as incinerated ash, distillery sludge and distillery sludge ash were
utilised in the experiment to examine their effect as potassium sources on growth,
yield and quality of cauliflower. These three distillery by-products were applied as
100, 50 and 25 per cent as replacement for chemical potassium fertilizer (K2SO4). As a
control, the final treatment was 100 per cent potassium sulphate. The N and P were
supplied through urea and DAP respectively as per the package of practices (UHSB
POP) recommendations.
Application of 25 per cent potassium through incinerated ash plus 75 per cent
potassium through potassium sulphate recorded significantly higher plant height, leaf
length, leaf width and number of leaves per plant. Higher pH and EC of soil were noted in
the treatment where there was complete replacement of potassium sulphate by incinerated
ash (T1:100 % incinerated ash). The maximum OC was observed in T4 which received 25 %
of potassium supplied through incinerated ash and 75 % of potassium through potassium
sulphate. The higher contents of both primary and secondary nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and
S) were observed in the treatment where 25 % of chemical fertilizer was replaced by
incinerated ash. The content of these major nutrients and its uptake by the cauliflower plant
was significantly higher with the treatment T4 (25 % K through incinerated ash + 75 %
through K2SO4).
The diameter and drymatter contents of the curd were significantly higher with the
application of 25 % of potassium by incinerated ash plus 75% potassium by K2SO4 (T4).
Significantly higher curd yield (15.86 t ha-1
), growth parameters, quality attributes
(chlorophyll content, vitamin C content and curd compactness), yield components and B: C
ratio (2.54) were associated with the treatment where 25 % of potassium supply was
through incinerated ash. All the nutrients had significant positive correlation with their
respective plant uptake. The application of 50% of these distillery by-products also recorded
higher values for the studied parameters, which were higher than that of control (T10). Thus,
indigenous sources like incinerated ash can be substituted to the extent of 25 to 50% of K
requirement of the crop.