Performance of Vegetable Based Cropping Sequence under INM in Protected Conditions

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted in a naturally ventilated arched saw teeth polyhouse department of vegetable science, faculty of horticulture, BCKV, Kolkata, West Bengal. Vegetable crops were produced in appropriate cropping rotations under integrated nutrient management with acceptable cultural methods in the current study. Four different cropping sequences and five various levels of nutrition supplies were used in the experiment. With four replications, the experiment was set up in a Split plot design. Plant height [at first harvesting], number of leaves, number of primary branches, days required for first harvesting, fruit yield per plant and yield per square metre of component crops did not show any significant variation over the two-year cropping cycle, but observed a gradual improvement in consecutive years of cropping. All growth and reproductive characters of component crops in the cropping sequence differed statistically from the first to the second year cropping under the influence of different levels of combined nutrient management, with the highest values for these characters obtained under L1 (100 percent Recommended dose of fertilizer (R.D.) through inorganic source), but results are statistically comparable to L2 (application of 50 percent R.D. of NPK + Vermicompost) and L3 (application of 50 percent R.D of NPK + FYM). However, there was no substantial variation in growth and yield parameters when cropping sequence and nutrient management were combined. It can be concluded Supplementation of organic fertilisers along suitable cropping sequences with short duration vegetable crops would be beneficial for long term soil fertility and crop vigour point of view.