Integrated nutrient management (INM) in commercial flower crops-a review Abrol Amita*, Chaudhary Svs, Dhiman SR Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, 173230, Himachal Pradesh, India *Email for correspondence: abrolamita1991@gmail.com
Online published on 9 August, 2019. Abstract Bio-fertilizers are ready to use live formulates of beneficial microorganisms which on application to seeds, seedlings or soil, mobilize the availability of nutrients particularly by their biological activity and help to build up the microflora and in turn improve the soil health. They are eco-friendly and play significant role in crop production. Earlier these were mainly used for field crops but now a days these are used for flower crops also. Various bio-fertilizers viz Azotobacter, Azospirillum, phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi show their suitability for application in different flower crops such as marigold, gerbera, chrysanthemum, carnation etc. Application of chemical fertilizers is although the single largest contributing factor in increasing crop yield in modern farming system, the imbalanced use of these in large quantities have also given rise to associated problems like degradation of soil due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers, soil erosion, soil toxicity etc which in the long run may destroy the entire biological productivity system and consequently the soil may turn into a dead mass of substance. Bio-fertilizers not only help in improving the nutrient uptake by the plants, releasing of growth hormones and antibiotics but also improve the quality of produce along with reduced cost of production. Top Keywords Bio-fertilizers, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, PSB, AM fungi, vermicompost, flower crops. Top |