Effect of Organic Manures and Biofertilizers on Vegetative Growth Characters of Lilium Growing under Different Cultivation Practices

Abstract

The increasing demand for sustainable floriculture production has emphasized the need for eco-friendly nutrient management practices that enhance plant growth while reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers. The present investigation was conducted during 2021–22 and 2022–23 at the Agri-tourism Centre, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, to evaluate the effect of organic manures and biofertilizers on the vegetative growth of Asiatic Lilium under different cultivation environments. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) comprising nine nutrient management treatments and three growing conditions, viz., polyhouse, shade-net, and open field, with three replications. The treatments included farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC), Azotobacter, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), and their various combinations. Significant variations were observed among growing environments and nutrient treatments for all vegetative growth parameters. Among the cultivation conditions, polyhouse-grown plants exhibited superior performance with respect to early bulb sprouting, plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, and leaf width compared with shade-net and open-field conditions. Among the nutrient management treatments, the combined application of FYM @ 5.0 t ha⁻¹ + vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha⁻¹ + Azotobacter + PSB (T9) proved most effective, recording minimum days to bulb sprouting (5.41 and 5.68 days) and maximum plant height (102.54 and 105.31 cm), number of leaves per plant (70.86 and 72.91), leaf length (9.25 and 9.70 cm), and leaf width (2.59 and 2.75 cm) during 2021–22 and 2022–23, respectively. The interaction between growing conditions and nutrient treatments was also found to be significant for most growth attributes, with T9 under polyhouse conditions producing the best results. The enhanced growth response may be attributed to the synergistic effects of organic manures and beneficial microorganisms, which improved nutrient availability, soil biological activity, root development, and overall plant vigor. The findings indicate that integrated application of FYM, vermicompost, Azotobacter, and PSB under protected cultivation offers an effective, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable strategy for improving vegetative growth and commercial production of Asiatic Lilium.