Vol. 10, Issue 9 (2021)

Author(s):
Ravish Kumar, Sanjive Kumar Singh, Nagendra Kumar and Amar Kant Verma

Abstract:
A field study was carried out at Vegetable Research Farm of C. S. Azad University of Agri. & Tech., Kalyanpur, Kanpur during-2017-18. Experiment was conducted in randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications. The treatments comprised of four levels of inorganic fertilizers (25, 50, 75 and 100% recommended dose of fertilizers) along with Azospirillum and VAM individually and 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizers only. The plant height (30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 DAT) was significantly increased by the application of biofertilizers in combination with inorganic fertilizers. The treatment with 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizers with Azospirillum and VAM (T₈) recorded the highest plant height of 46.21, 79.54, 105.17, 122.45 and 128.38 cm at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 DAT, respectively and these treatment was at par with T₇ (75% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM). The number of primary, secondary and tertiary branches was significantly increased by the application of biofertilizers in combination with inorganic fertilizers. Hundred per cent recommended dose of fertilizers along with Azospirillum and VAM recorded the maximum number of primary (9.89), secondary (15.03) and tertiary (28.93), branches per plant at 150 DAT, which was at par with T₇ (75% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM). Maximum dry weight (68.77g) and chlorophyll content in the leaves (1.578 mg g^-1) were recorded in the treatment T₈ with 100 per cent RDF + Azospirillum + VAM and it was at par with T₇ (75% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM). The chilli crop registered earliness in commencement of flowering and 50 per cent flowering under the treatment T₈ (100% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM), T₇ (75% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM) and T₉ (100% RDF). Regarding the number of days taken for commencement of flowering registered by T₈, T₇ and T₉ were 33.30, 33.56 and 34.20 days, while number of days for 50 per cent flowering registered by T₈, T₇ and T₉ were 38.44, 38.76 and 39.00 days, respectively. Maximum number of fruits per plant (166.09), fresh fruit yield per plant (473.32g), dry fruit yield per plant (126.47 g) and dry fruit yield per hectare (49.20q) were recorded in the treatment T₈ (100% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM), which was at par with T₇ (75% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM). Application of biofertilizers along with 100 per cent RDF (T₈) recorded maximum fruit weight (2.84 g), driage per cent (26.72%) and 1000-seeds weight (4.56 g). The treatment T₈ (100% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM) was at par with T₇ (75% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM). Application of 100 per cent RDF along with biofertilizers significantly increased the quality interms of oleoresin content (9.87%) and capsaicin content (0.55%), followed by T₇ (75% RDF + Azospirillum + VAM) with 9.82 and 0.54 per cent, respectively. These two treatments were at par with each other. Among all the treatments highest net returns (Rs.1,01,596 ha^-1) and B:C ratio (2.24) were obtained with the application of 75 per cent RDF + Azospirillum + VAM.