Effect of Different Biofertilizers and Organic Manure on Growth and Yield of Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis.) Cv. Pusa Deepali

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the Agriculture Research Farm of Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, India, during 2024–2025, with the objective of studying the effect of organic fertilizers alone and integrated nutrient management on the growth and yield of cauliflower. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments and three replications. Based on the results obtained from the present investigation, it can be concluded that the highest growth and yield parameters including plant height (17.25 cm), number of leaves (15.84), leaf length (18.72 cm), leaf width (15.64 cm), days to first curd emergence (64.22 days), leaf area index (1.88), curd diameter (10.88 cm), root length (16.88 cm), stalk length (10.74 cm), fresh weight of curd (1.32 kg), dry weight of curd (0.316 kg), yield per plot (28.28 kg), curd yield per hectare (276 q/ha), and benefit-cost ratio (1.86) were recorded under Treatment T₅: Farmyard Manure @ 25 t/ha + Biofertilizer (Azotobacter) @ 5 kg/ha. The lowest values of these parameters were observed under the control treatment. Thus, the application of FYM along with biofertilizers is found to be an effective integrated nutrient management strategy for improving cauliflower productivity.