Yield Attributing Characters and Biomass Accumulation of Safed Musli as Influenced by FYM and Fly Ash Application under Inceptisol

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted during 2013-2014 at Nagarjuna Medicinal Plants Garden, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola (M.S.) There were three levels of FYM and four levels of fly ash with three replications in FRBD on Inceptisol with a view to study the effect of FYM and fly ash application on yield, quality and nutrient uptake of safed musli. As the physiological maturity of the crop begins at 85-90 days after sowing (DAS) the growth observations e.g. number of leaves, leaf area were recorded at 30, 60 and 90 days after sowing. The number of leaves were successively increased with each growth stage upto 60 days Significantly highest leaf area was recorded with the application of 20 t FYM ha-1 (M2) .Significantly highest leaf area (29.56 cm2) was recorded at 60 DAP with the application of 15 t fly ash ha- 1 which was at par with 10 t fly ash ha-1 (F2) and 5 t fly ash ha-1 (F1). Significantly highest dry matter accumulation was recorded with the application of 20 t FYM ha-1, however, it was at par with 10 t FYM ha-1. The highest biomass accumulation was observed with 15 t fly ash ha-1 (F3) which was at par with 10 t fly ash ha-1 (F2) and 5 t fly ash ha-1 (F1). The thermal industrial waste like fly ash showed a promising option for nutrient management in medicinal crop plant like safed musli which can substitute to some extent costly chemical fertilizer and improve the qualitative value of safed musli.