Quality production of kharif onion (Allium cepa) in response to biofertilizers inoculated organic manures

Abstract

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a highly nutrient responsive vegetable crop. In the light of fragmental information available on the response of kharif onion to biofertilizers enriched organic manures, a field experiment was conducted during rainy (kharif) season of 2006-08 on acidic kaolinitic Rhodustalf soil representing foothill conditions of Nagaland. Amongst different organic manures, poultry manure produced the highest response on bulb yield (21.18 tonnes/ha), followed by FYM (16.74 tonnes/ha), vermicompost (14.37 tonnes/ha) = pig manure (12.74 tonnes/ha). Incorporation of Azotobacter chroococcum into different organic manures failed to improvise any significant changes in bulb yield due to high initial microbial abundance in organic manures. Different growth-attributing characters followed the similar response. Poultry manure similarly registered highest nutrient uptake as kg/ha (26.39 N - 10.91 P - 55.96 K), followed by FYM (22.80 N - 9.10 P - 47.90 K) with Pig manure and vermicompost (15.08/16.72 N - 7.30/10.91 P - 51.02/55.96 K) displaying no significant difference. Economic analysis in terms of cost : benefit ratio supported these observations. These studies proposed that if organic manures possess enough initial microbial load, the biofortification of organic manures need not be exercised.