kumar, AnilThakur, Saurabh2022-10-012022-10-012021-11-20https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810188422A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of integrated nutrient management in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) under sub-montane and low hills sub-tropical zone (ZoneI) of Himachal Pradesh at the Experimental Farm of the Department of Soil Science and Water Management, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Neri, Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh) during kharif (2020) season in a randomized block design with eleven treatments replicated thrice. The soil of the experimental farm was sandy loam in texture, neutral in reaction (pH 6.76), medium in organic carbon, P and K (4.40 g kg-1, 16.15 and 169.50 kg ha-1, respectively) and low in available N (188.16 kg ha-1) content. The treatments consisted of control (T1), 100 % RDF (T2), 75 % RDN (IF) + 25 % RDN (VC) (T3), 50 % RDN (IF) + 50 % RDN (VC) (T4), 25 % RDN (IF) + 75 % RDN (VC) (T5), 100 % RDN (VC) (T6), 100 % RDF + Azotobacter (T7), 75 % RDN (IF) + 25 % RDN (VC) + Azotobacter (T8), 50 % RDN (IF) + 50 % RDN (VC) + Azotobacter (T9), 25 % RDN (IF) + 75 % RDN (VC) + Azotobacter (T10) and 100 % RDN (VC) + Azotobacter (T11). Surface soil samples (0-15 cm depth) were collected after the harvest of brinjal crop (kharif 2020) and analyzed for physical and chemical properties of soil viz., bulk density, particle density, porosity, water holding capacity, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, available N, P, K, S, exchangeable Ca, Mg and DTPA extractable Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn using standard analytical methods. Fruit and stover samples were also collected and analyzed for nutrient content to work out their uptake and quality of brinjal fruit was assessed. The treatment comprising of 100 % RDN through vermicompost + Azotobacter (T11) registered highest plant height at 60 DAT, 90 DAT and at harvest (109.03, 119.40 and 128.53 cm, respectively), number of fruits per plant (11.29), fruit length (21.47 cm), fruit diameter (4.50 cm), fruit weight (74.1 g), fruit yield per plant (830.28 g), fruit (26.07 t ha-1) and stover yield (117.46 q ha-1) as well as benefit cost ratio (2.55). However, this treatment was closely followed by 100 % RDN through vermicompost (T6). Application of 100 % RDN through vermicompost + Azotobacter could be an appropriate integrated nutrient supply package for obtaining maximum yield, nutrient uptake, benefit cost ratio, better quality of brinjal fruits and improved soil health.EnglishThesis