Effect of integrated nutrient management on the growth of silver oak and coffee under silver oak -black pepper-coffee based agroforestry system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in a farmer’s field at Malagi village of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka for a duration of seven months to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on the growth of silver oak and the growth and yield of coffee under silver oak-black pepper-coffee based agroforestry system. There were nine treatments consisting organic, inorganic and biofertilizers arranged in randomized completely block design with three replications each. All the treatments were applied to the black pepper vines. The growth and yield of coffee plants and the growth parameters of silver oak trees were improved with the various nutrient management practices. The results revealed that the application of T₃ [75% RDF + Azospirillum (50 g) +PSB (50 g) +VAM (100g)] per vine recorded highest yield (2.78 kg/plant ) , stem girth (13.25 cm ),stem height (78.35 cm) and increment percent of coffee plants for both stem girth (38.36 %) and plant height (11.77 %)  after seven months of experiment .However lowest values were recorded for control (T₉).With regard to the silver oak tree height, DBH and their increment percent, T₃ [75 (%) RDF + Azospirillum (50 g) +PSB (50 g) +VAM (100g) per vine ] showed superior performance except for height and height increment. The lowest values were recorded for control (T₉). However height and height increment showed non-significant results.