Impact of Various Organic Manures with Inorganics (Influence of Organic Manure Combinations) on Growth and Yield Attributes of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

Abstract

Background: Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is a short-duration, nutritionally important root vegetable widely cultivated for its economic and dietary value. However, increasing concerns over excessive chemical fertilizer use have highlighted the need for integrating organic manures to improve soil health, productivity, and sustainability. Aims: The study aims to evaluate the effect of different combinations of organic manure sources along with the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) on growth, yield and yield attributes of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) cv. Pusa Himani. Study Design:  The experiment was laid out in a single-factor Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with seven treatments and three replications. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at the Department of Agriculture, Meerut Institute of Technology, Meerut, India, during the rabi season of 2024-2025. Methodology: The treatments comprised RDF (75:100:50 kg NPK ha⁻¹) applied alone and in combination with farmyard manure (FYM) @ 20 t ha⁻¹, sugarcane press-mud (SP) @ 20 t ha⁻¹, poultry manure (PM) @ 4 t ha⁻¹, 50% FYM + 50% SP, 50% FYM + 50% PM, 50% SP + 50% PM, and 33% FYM + 33% SP + 33% PM. Growth and yield parameters were recorded and analyzed statistically. Results: Significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were observed among treatments. Treatment T₇ (RDF + 33% FYM + 33% SP + 33% PM) recorded the highest plant height (33.57 cm), number of leaves per plant (16.44), leaf width (10.64 cm), root length (21.10 cm), root diameter (3.39 cm), root dry weight (15.56 g), plant weight with top (262.08 g), root yield per plot (32.02 kg), and total root yield (46.70 t ha⁻¹). However, maximum leaf area (215.86 cm²) was observed under T₆ (RDF + 50% SP + 50% PM). Conclusion: The integrated application of RDF with equal proportions of FYM, poultry manure, and sugarcane press-mud (T₇) significantly enhanced growth and yield of radish and can be recommended as an effective nutrient management strategy for higher productivity under similar agro-climatic conditions.