Growth and Yield Response of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) to Integrated Nutrient Management in Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Abstract

A crucial Rabi oilseed crop in India, Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) is still not producing as much as it could because of nutrient imbalances and an over dependence on chemical fertilizers. A sustainable strategy to enhance soil health, nutrient use efficiency, and productivity is integrated nutrient management (INM), which combines inorganic fertilizers with organic manures and biofertilizers. The "Growth and Yield Response of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) to Integrated Nutrient Management in Dehradun, Uttarakhand" field experiment was carried out at Jigyasa University's Agronomy Research Farm in Dehradun during the Rabi season of 2023–2024. The soil was sandy loam with high K content, medium levels of accessible N and P, and slight alkalinity. Nine nutrient management treatments, comprising combinations of recommended dose fertilizers (RDF), vermicompost, and biofertilizers (Azotobacter + PSB), were arranged in a Randomized Block Design with three replications in this research. The findings showed that the growth and yield characteristics of the various treatments varied significantly. The highest plant height (194.74 cm), fresh weight (275.41 g), dry matter accumulation (127.26 g), siliqua length (6.65 cm), seeds per siliqua (14.90), and test weight (4.64 g) were all recorded by T₄ (80% RDF + Vermicompost + Biofertilizers). Additionally, this treatment yielded the highest harvest index (27.34%), stover yield (58.38 q/ha), biological yield (80.35 q/ha), and seed yield (21.97 q/ha). On the other hand, T₉ (biofertilizers alone) showed the poorest performance. The superiority of T₄ emphasizes how mixing organic and inorganic sources can have a synergistic effect, improving soil biological activity, ensuring a consistent and balanced nutrient supply, and improving assimilate partitioning towards reproductive structures. The study concludes that using vermicompost and biofertilizers in place of some chemical fertilizers improved growth and output while lowering reliance on chemical inputs alone, which in turn promoted environmentally friendly and sustainable mustard farming. In the Shivalik region of Uttarakhand and other agro-ecologies, adopting INM—in particular, 80% RDF with vermicompost and biofertilizers—can therefore be a farmer-friendly nutrient management method.