Sustainable quality leaf production in S 1635 mulberry (Morus alba) under irrigated condition through organic nutrient management

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2007-10 at the Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute,
Berhampore (West Bengal), under irrigated Gangetic alluvial soil conditions, to study the effect of various organic nutrient
management packages on soil health, growth attributes, leaf yield, leaf quality and economic gain in newly evolved, triploid, high yielding, recommended and popular S 1635 mulberry (Morus alba L.). Analysis of NPK status of soil was
found to be improved in recommended practice, while available N was found marginally lower and available P and K
were found higher in all the organic nutrient management packages over initial status. Analyzed data of three years (15 crops) with 7 treatments and 3 replication revealed that the effect of the treatments was found significant on plant height,
branches/plant, leaves/plant, leaf area, leaf area index, leaf- shoot (%), leaf yield, leaf moisture, total chlorophyll and total soluble protein content in leaves. Maximum branches/plant was found in organic package (30 mt vermicompost/ha/year), while it was next best in leaves/plant, leaf yield (almost similar with integrated nutrient management package), total soluble protein and total soluble sugar content in leaves. During 3^rd year, the overall leaf yield in organic packages with vermicompost, vermicompost plus vermiwash and integrated nutrient management package was found at par with recommended practice and obtained marginally higher (6.4%) leaf yield in vermicompost package. It was further noticed that the increase level in leaf yield with vermicompost package was reached at the tune of 32.57% in 2^nd year over 1^st year and 39.95% in 3^rd year over 2^nd year which was maximum among other treatments. Moreover, about 10.5% leaf yield was increased in vermicompost package during winter crops (November and February) of 3rd year. The economic gain on 3^rd year leaf yield revealed that the organic package performed better in respect of about 6.4% more quality leaf yield (45.3 tonnes/ha/year), maximum net profit (Rupees 22 697/ha/year) and return/ rupee investment (1.33) with marginally higher expenditure (Rupees 67 931.13/ha/year) over recommended package.