Effect of vermicompostand biofertilizer on yield and quality of Rabi onion (Allium cepa L.) cv. puna red

A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2008–2009 to study the effect of vermicompost and biofertilizer on yield and quality of rabi onion. The experiment was laid out in the split-plot design with four replications. There were twenty-four treatment combinations comprising of for levels of vermicompost viz. 5, 10, 15, 20 q ha⁻¹, three treatments of Azotobacter (A₁) i.e. seedling dipping (A₁S₁), seed treatment (A₁S₂) and soil application (A₂S₂) and three treatments of Azospirillum (A₂) i.e. seedling dipping (A₂S₁), seed treatment (A₂S₂) and soil application (A₂S₃). The data revealed that, among vermicompost application of 20qha⁻¹ recorded significantly higher high fresh weight of bulb (43.04 g), bulb yield (25 1.20 q ha⁻¹), N content (0.9l8%), TSS (11.07%) and pungency (6.63 mg/l00g) as compared to control. Among the biofertilizer levels, A₁S₂ recorded significantly maximum bulb yield (23.51 q ha⁻¹) fresh weight of bulb (42.13 q ha⁻¹) TSS (10.06%) and it was on par with A₂S₂. Among the interactions the treatment, 0₄A₁S₂ recorded comparatively maximum fresh eight of bulb (49.14 g) and bulb yield (269.52 q ha⁻¹) followed by O₄A₂S₂, 0₃A₁S₂ and 0₃A₂S₂ which were at par with each other.