Evaluation of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)-based industrial waste and litter fall of jatropha (Jatropha curcas) for nutrient management in oleiferous rocket salad (Eruca sativa)

A field study conducted for 2 years (2003–05) on sandy-loam soil at New Delhi showed that seed yield (1.80 t/ha) of oleiferous rocket salad (Eruca sativa Mill.) obtained with distillery pressmud-distillery effluent compost @ 5 t/ha + half the recommended dose of NPKS (60 kg N, 13.1 kg P, 25.0 kg K and 20 kg S/ha) was on a par with the seed yield (1.69 t/ha) recorded with the recommended dose of NPKS. The seed yield recorded with former treatment was significantly superior to that with flyash-distillery effluent mixture (1:1) @ 5 t/ha + half the recommended dose of NPKS by 30.4% and litter-fall of jatropha (Jatropha curcas) @ 5 t/ha + half the recommended dose of NPKS by 24.1%. On an average, pressmud-distillery effluent compost @ 5 t/ha + half the recommended dose of NPKS recorded perceptible increase in the available NPK status of the soil recorded after oleiferous rocket salad harvest compared with the initial fertility status. Available nutrient status of this treatment was also higher when compared with the recommended dose of NPKS and other treatments. Application of pressmud-distillery effluent compost @ 5 t/ha alone recorded significantly higher seed yield and residual fertility after oleiferous rocket salad harvest when compared with flyash effluent mixture and jatropha litter-fall applied at the same rate.