Response Of Biofertilizer In Conjunction With Different Levels Of Inorganic Fertilizer In Cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea Var. Botrytis) Production At Chitwan, Nepal

The crop growth with its yield and yield-attributing character of Kathmandu local variety of cauliflower was evaluated under different levels of the recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer and bio-fertilizer inoculation at Khairahani, Chitwan during the winter season from December 2021 to February 2022. The experiment was laid out into two factorial Randomized Complete Block Design with three different levels of NPK (Viz:100% NPK-120:60:50, 75% NPK-90:45:37.5, and 50% NPK-60:30:25) and bio-fertilizer (Viz: No inoculation, Azotobacter inoculation, VAM inoculation, and Azotobacter +VAM inoculation). The treatments were replicated thrice. Azotobacter was inoculated by dipping seedlings into 10% (V/V) solution for 30 minutes whereas, VAM was inoculated at the rate of 4 Kg ha-1 by soil application. The results revealed that significantly higher plant height (50.57cm), number of leaves (13.42), plant spread (55.60cm), leaf area index (2.41) at harvest, and days to 100% curding (77.62), curd weight (265.6 gm), curd diameter (26.10 cm) and marketable curd yield (8.41ton ha-1) was recorded under 100% NPK fertilizer. Regarding bio-fertilizer, inoculation with Azotobacter + VAM recorded significantly higher plant height (49.15 cm), number of leaves (14.22), leaf area index (2.51), plant spread (57.52 cm) at harvest, days to 50% curding (70.22), days to 100% curding (77.6), curd diameter (25.72 cm), curd weight (249.1 gm) and marketable curd yield (8.11-ton ha-1) as compared to that of the treatment with no inoculation. Interaction between the inorganic fertilizer and biofertilizer was seen as significant in plant height at 30 days after transplanting. Thus, it can be suggested that the application of a 100% recommended dose of NPK fertilizer and Azotobacter + VAM inoculation enhances the production of cauliflower.