Shinde, S.S.Nadre, Vaibhav Panjabrao2023-03-132023-03-132022-11-3023122https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810195151The present investigation entitled “Studies on effect of bio fertilizers and organic manure on growth, yield and quality of Indian spinach” was carried out at Organic Farming Research and Training Centre, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Parbhani. (Maharashtra) during summer season 2021-2022. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three bio fertilizers, (B1) Azotobacter, (B2) PSB, (B3) Azospirillum and (B4) as control condition with control (L1) and two organic manure FYM levels (RDN kg ha-1) viz., (L2) 75% RDN through FYM, (L3) 100 % RDN through FYM comprising twelve treatments replicated thrice. The sowing was done on 27th January 2022. The observations on growth, yield and quality of spinach along with the soil analysis were recorded and economics was worked out and subjected for statistical analysis. The results of the present investigation of indicated that, bio fertilizers and organic manure significantly influenced growth, yield and quality parameters. Minimum days to potential germination (5.26) and highest germination per cent (90.18) was recorded with (B1) Azotobacter treatment. Regarding the growth attributes viz., number of leaves plant-1 (12.74), height of plant (29.17 cm), leaf area (61.27 cm2), length of shoot (27.80 cm) was recorded with bio fertilizer (B3) Azospirillum treatment, while minimum days to horticulture maturity was recorded with bio fertilizer (B2) PSB (32.55). Among organic manure FYM level (RDN kg ha-1), the treatment (L3) 100 % RDN through FYM found to be best with respect to minimum days to potential germination (5.39), germination per cent (89.84) other growth attributes viz., number of leaves plant-1 (12.34), height of plant (27.24 cm), leaf area (60.33 cm2), length of shoot (25.78 cm) and also took minimum days to horticulture maturity (32.15 days). The higher values of yield attributes viz., fresh weight of leaves plant-1(21.91 g), total yield plot-1 (13.87 kg), and total yield ha-1 (20.38 t) was recorded with bio fertilizer (B3) Azospirillum as compared to other. Among organic manure FYM level (RDN kg ha-1), the treatment (L3) 100 % RDN through FYM found to be best with respect to fresh weight of leaves plant-1(22.05 g), total yield plot-1 (14.11 kg), and total yield ha-1 (20.72 t) as compared with others. The higher values of the quality parameters, viz., Chlorophyll content (37.39 SPAD value), Ascorbic acid value (61.72 mg 100-1 g) and Iron content (21.95 mg 100-1g) was recorded with bio fertilizer (B3) Azospirillum as compared to other. Among organic manure FYM level (RDN kg ha-1), the treatment (L3) 100 % RDN through FYM found to be best with respect to the quality parameters, viz., Chlorophlyll content (39.16 SPAD value), Ascorbic acid value (61.09 mg 100-1 g) and Iron content (22.02 mg 100-1 g). Significantly maximum mean vegetation indices was recorded with the bio fertilizer (B3) Azospirillum (0.81) treatment. Among organic manure levels FYM (RDN kg ha-1), significantly maximum mean vegetation indices was recorded (0.87) with (L3) 100% RDN was given through FYM. With regards to soil parameters maximum available nitrogen (162.04 kg ha-1) with the bio fertilizer (B3) Azopirillum, maximum available phosphorous (13.02 kg ha-1) with the bio fertilizer treatment (B2) PSB, maximum available potassium status (723.90 kg ha-1) with bio fertilizer (B2) PSB treatment. Among organic manure FYM levels (RDN kg ha-1), maximum available nitrogen (163.08 kg ha-1) with (L3) 100% RDN was given through FYM. Highest values for gross monetary return (Rs.2,57,715.3/ ha), net monetory return (Rs.1,54,048.6/ha) and B: C (2.48) ratio was recorded with bio fertilizer (B3) Azospirillum. Among organic manure FYM levels (RDN kg ha-1), treatment (L3) 100% RDN was given through FYM recorded highest values for gross monetary return (Rs. 2,54,100 /ha), net monetory return (Rs.1,43,267.3/ha)) and B: C (2.29) ratio.. Thus the present study revealed that bio fertilizer Azospirillum and 100% RDN through organic manure FYM (RDN kg ha-1) exhibited superiority with respect to growth, yield and quality of the Indian spinach over other bio fertilizers and organic manure levels (RDN kg ha-1).EnglishThesis