Integrated nutrient management for better growth, yield and quality of green chilli (Capsicum annuum) in terai region of West Bengal

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during winter seasons of 2004–06 to study the effect of inoculation with biological nitrogen fixers on growth and yield of ‘Suryamukhi’ chilli (Capsicum annuum L.). The growth, yield and quality characters of green chilli crop increased with the inoculation of biological nitrogen fixers using Azotobacter and Azospirillum. Performance of Azospirillum was better as compared to Azotobacter. Dual inoculation gave a synergistic effect in increasing crop growth and yield. Dual inoculation with the biological nitrogen fixers, 100% recommended dose of N-fertilizer @ 80 kg N/ha and farmyard manure @ 15tonnes/ha recorded maximum growth, yield (7.43tonnes/ ha) and quality parameters, and cost : benefit ratio of 1.55 and no significant difference was observed when N-fertilizer level was reduced to 75%. Thus associative nature of the above biofertilizers helped to save 25% nitrogenous fertilizer in chilli crop. There was increased content in plant nitrogen (84.10 mg/kg), phosphate (84.42 mg/kg) and potash (57.46 mg/kg), leaf chlorophyll (0.204 mg/100g) and residual available soil nitrogen (202.90 kg/ha), phosphate (67.10 kg/ha) and potash (70.50 kg/ha) with dual inoculation with the biological nitrogen fixers along with full dose of N-fertilizer.