Effect of vermicompost on growth, yield and quality of indian palak (Beta vulgaris var. Bengalensis) Dhatt Jasgeet Sofia1*, Hundal S S1, Singh Kulbir2 1Department of Zoology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004 (Punjab), India 2Department of Vegetable Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004 (Punjab), India *Corresponding author: nandgharia@gmail.com
Online published on 3 February, 2021. Abstract Indian Palak (Beta vulgaris. var. bengalensis) noted for its nutrient richness, is one of the most popular among leafy vegetables. Use of inorganic fertilizers does not compare well on quality and yield parameters vis-a-vis chemical fertilizers which compels the farmers to rely primarily on chemical fertilization of crops. This study has been conducted by using soil amended with vermicompost in the ratio (1:1) for the growth of Indian Palak. The parameters like plant height, number of leaves per cutting, weight of cuttings, dry matter, iron content, carotene content, total minerals and ascorbic acid were evaluated and subjected to statistical analysis to determine the effect of vermicompost prepared from different substrates on growth of Indian Palak. The results indicated that vermicompost obtained from paddy straw and sugarcane bagasse (1:1), is economical and results in better quality attributes in comparison to inorganic fertilizers. Use of chemical fertilizers, however, gave the best physical attributes (growth, size of leaves and cuttings) per plant. Top Keywords Chemical fertilizer, Growth parameters, Indian palak, Organic fertilizer, Vermicompost. Top |