Saikia, LuchonDeka, Anjela2020-06-112020-06-112019-07http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810147481An experiment titled “Nutrient budgeting of NPK doses for sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum ssp. grossum var. Swarna) under protected condition” as carried out in the Experimental farm, Department of Horticulture, Assam Agricultural University, during 2017-18 with the objectives:to study the growth, yield and quality of sweet pepper under different levels of NPK in protected condition and to standardize the NPK requirement of sweet pepper under protected condition and nutrient budgeting. The experiment was laid out in split-split plot design with three N main plots, three P sub plots and three K sub-sub plots which was replicated three times. Three nitrogen levels were N1 (80 kg/ha), N2 (100 kg/ha) and N3 (120 kg/ha); three phosphorus levels i.e. P1(40 kg/ha), P2(60 kg/ha) and P3(80 kg/ha) and three potash levels i.e. K1 (40 kg/ha), K2(60 kg/ha) and K3(80 kg/ha). The mean performance of growth and yield parameters revealed that N3 had recorded the maximum for most of the growth as well as yield attributing characters viz. plant height (202.44 cm), fruit volume (463.94 cc), fruits per plant (12.93), fruit yield per plant (4.28 kg), fruit yield/sq. m (17.83 kg), fruit yield/100 sq. m (17.83 q), fresh weight of the plant (5.17 kg), dry weight of plant (431.58 g) and quality character such as ash content (9.24 %). Similarly N1also recorded the highest fruit weight (340.09 g), seeds per fruit (289.88), seed weight (2.41 g), pericarp thickness (12.10 mm) and quality characters viz.,moisture content (94.69 %), ascorbic acid (28.94 mg/100 g) and shelf life (18.37 days). In respect of phosphorus levels, P3 had recorded the maximum seeds per fruit (276.48), seed weight per fruit (2.36 g), pericarp thickness (11.11 mm), fruits per plant (10.71), fruit yield per plant (3.57 kg), fruit yield/sq. m (14.87 kg), fruit yield/100 sq. m (14.87 q), ash content (8.75 %) and moisture content (94.37 %). Similarly P2 had recorded the highest total sugar content (104.04 mg/100 g) and shelf life (17.27 days). In respect of potassium levels, K3had recorded with the highest seeds per fruit (261.85), seed weight (2.17 g), pericarp thickness (10.4 mm), moisture content (93.95 %), ascorbic acid (27.97 mg/100 g) and shelf life (16.98 days). In case of interaction between nitrogen and phosphorus N3P3 had recorded the maximum fruits per plant (15.46), fruit yield per plant (5.05 kg), fruit yield per sq. m (21.04 kg), fruit yield/100 sq. m (18.96 q) , fresh weight of the plant (3.00 kg), dry weight of the plant (476.01 g) and ash content (9.94 %). While, N3K3 had recorded with maximum fruits per plant (13.85), fruit yield per plant (4.55 kg), fruit yield per sq. m (18.96 kg), fruit yield/100 sq. m (18.96 q), fresh weight of the plant (3.21 kg) and dry weight of the plant (466.91 g). In case of interaction between phosphorus and potassium P3K1 had recorded the highest seeds per fruit (287.55), moisture content (94.58 %) and ash content (9.47 %).In case of interaction among NPK, N3P3K1 had recorded the highest fruit yield per plant (5.09 kg), fruit yield/sq. m (21.20 kg) and fruit yield/100 sq.m (21.20 q). The cost economics indicated the superiority of N3P3K1 i.e. N120P80K40 with benefit cost ratio of 3.19 followed by N120P80K60 with B:C of 3.18. Based on the results of the experiment, it was concluded that N120P80K40 could be suggested as best fertilizer dose for the sweet pepper under protected condition. From the balance sheet of nutrients, it becomes clear that capsicum is an exhaustive crop in nature and demands judicial application of the three major nutrients to derive high yield. There was a residual built up of highly mobile N content, while phosphorus and potash content declined due to reserve nature in soil.enThesis