Influence of Different Organic Sources of Nutrients on Yield and Quality of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Bhagwa

Abstract

A field experiment entitled, Influence of different organic sources of nutrients on yield and quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Bhagwa. The current study was designed in RBD with three replications consisting of twenty-two treatments with four different organic manures viz., farmyard manure, vermicompost, poultry manure and neem cake as a source of nitrogen and recommended dose of manure and fertilizers based on plant age with or without biofertilizers (Azotobacter, PSB & KMB) and biopesticides (Trichoderma viride and and Paecilomyces lilacinus). The findings based on pooled data discovered that maximum number of fruits per plant (59.50), yield per plant (12.41 kg), yield per hectare (19.86 tonne), fruit weight (239.39 g), fruit diameter (7.55 cm), aril weight per fruit (147.70 g), juice content per fruit (97.55 ml), peel weight per fruit (91.69 g) along with peel: aril ratio (0.62) was significantly noted under treatment 100 % RDN through poultry manure + 50 ml PSB + 25 ml KMB + 5 g Trichoderma viride + 5 ml Paecilomyces lilacinus. The maximum net return (4,12,840/ha) and BCR (3.26) were also obtained in same treatment. Significantly maximum TSS (16.15°Brix), reducing sugar (14.44 %), non-reducing (2.04 %) and total sugar (16.48 %) along with minimum titrable acidity (0.41 %) were recorded with application of 37.5 % RDN through FYM + 37.5 % RDN through neem cake + 50 ml Azotobacter culture + 50 ml PSB + 25 ml KMB + 5 g Trichoderma viride + 5 ml Paecilomyces lilacinus treatment. Whereas, maximum ascorbic acid content (16.72 mg/100 ml juice) was significantly found under treatment 100 % RDN through FYM + 50 ml PSB + 25 ml KMB + 5 g Trichoderma viride + 5 ml Paecilomyces lilacinus.