Integrated Nutrient Management In Papaya

Abstract

The present investigation on Integrated nutrient management on papaya newline(Carica papaya L.) was carried out at the Horticulture Experimental Farm, Assam newlineAgricultural University, Jorhat during the year 2017-2019. The objectives of the newlinepresent investigation were to find the effect of different integrated nutrients on newlinegrowth, development, yield, and post-harvest attributes of papaya and to standardize newlinethe integrated nutrient model for sustainable production of papaya. The experiment newlinewas laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with ten treatments and three newlinereplications. The observations were focused on growth characters, physiological newlineattributes, yield, post-harvest attributes and soil status. The growth parameters viz. newlineplant height (186.00cm), stem girth (45.92cm), number of leaf (40.17), total leaf area newline(10.63m2), number of lobes in leaf (8.50) recorded maximum value when plant were newlinetreated with T9:75% (NPK + Vermicompost + FYM + Consortia/plant) during both newlinethe year and in pooled analysis. Whereas, the same treatment showed earliness in the newlineinitiation of flowering (104.00days), increased number of flowers (82.00) and the newlinelowest height for the first flower (58.67cm). Number of fruits per plant (79.40), newlineaverage fruit weight (1.75kg), fruit length (25.25cm), fruit diameter (17.91cm), fruit newlineyield per plant (118.68kg) and per ha (366.29t) were also found to be significantly newlinehigher in papaya plants supplied with T9:75% (NPK + Vermicompost + FYM + newlineConsortia/plant). Regarding soil parameters, viz. N, P2O5, K2O, (229.22kg/ha, newline50.19kg/ha and 128.89kg/ha) were higher in T9:75% (NPK + Vermicompost + FYM newline+ Consortia/plant). Minimum physiological loss in weight (11.01%), titratable acidity newline(0.017%), higher content of total soluble solids (9.77°brix), total sugars (9.94%), newlinereducing sugars (8.72%), ascorbic acid (23.01mg/100g pulp) and shelf life of fruit newline(10.17days) were also noted in same treatment i.e. T9:75% (NPK + Vermicompost + newlineFYM + Consortia/plant). The data concerning the economics of present investigation newlinerevealed that the maximum net returns of Rs. 13326029.49 with a BCR (2.64) per newlinehectare were obtained with application T9:75% (NPK + Vermicompost + FYM + newlineConsortia/plant). On the basis of results obtained in present investigation, it is newlineconcluded that the application of T9:75% (NPK + Vermicompost + FYM + newlineConsortia/plant) resulted in higher economic returns with improvement in soil and newlinefruit quality of papaya cv. Taiwan Red Lady newline