Influence of Macro and Micronutrients on the Yield and Quality Attributes of Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis L.) cv. “Pusa Sharad”

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2017–18 and 2018–19 at the Horticultural Research-cum-Instructional Farm, Department of Vegetable Science, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (C.G.). The field experiments used a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications and treatments that included RDF (100%), RDF (75%), Borax (20 kg ha-1), Ammonium Molybdate (2 kg ha-1), and ZnSO4 (25 kg ha-1). During the study, various yield parameters, gross curd weight (g), net curd weight (g), curd diameter (cm) the final yield, and quality parameters, total soluble solids (oBrix), protein content in curd (%)  and ascorbic acid content in curd (mg/100g) were recorded. The experimental findings revealed that almost all the treatments showed a positive effect on yield and quality; however, a combined application of 100% RDF with Borax at 20 kg ha-1, ammonium molybdate at 2 kg ha-1, and ZnSO4 at 25 kg ha-1 was found most promising compared to the control (100% RDF). Therefore, based on the findings, it can be concluded that the application of micronutrients along with the recommended fertilizer dosage is an effective approach for enhancing the performance of cauliflower in terms of both quality and quantity.