Optimizing cauliflower cultivation: A study on reduced chemical inputs and natural farming techniques
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/jefa.2025.20.2.11Keywords:
Beejamrit, Ghanjeevamrit, Jeevamrit, TSS, Vitamin-A, Vitamin-CAbstract
The field experiment, conducted at sub-humid, sub-temperate mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh during rabi, 2021-23 to evaluate the effect of inorganic fertilizers and natural farming formulations on the growth, yield, and quality of cauliflower cv. PSBK-1, showed that the application of 80 per cent RDN + Jeevamrit 15 per cent (soil drenching at 21 days intervals) exhibited maximum values for plant height (52.93 cm), number of leaves per plant (29.87), leaf size (1,178.00 cm2), stalk length (5.07 cm), curd size (135.00 cm2), gross curd weight (1.87 kg), net curd weight (751.07 g), and marketable curd yield (268.39 q ha-1). The same treatment also demonstrated the highest TSS (7.94°Brix), vitamin A (23.93 µg 100 g–1), and vitamin C (73.34 mg/100 g) content in curds. The results indicate that the application of 80 per cent RDN in conjunction with soil drenching of Jeevamrit at 15 per cent at 21 days interval can be recommended for maximizing the growth, yield, and quality of cauliflower under the sub-humid, sub temperate mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh.
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