Performance of ginger crop in response to integrated nutrient management under bamboo-based agroforestry system in mid-hill sub-humid conditions of Himachal Pradesh

The study was conducted at the experimental farm of the Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, HP during the rainy season of 2012. Experiment was laid out in split plot design comprising B₁ (Dendrocalamus asper) and B₂ (D hamiltonii) and B₃(open field conditions) under which ginger crop was grown with five levels of nutrients supplied throughorganic and inorganic integrated fertilizer doses (T₁: recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), T₂: farmyard manure (FYM) on N equivalent ratio + plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), T₃: vermicompost (VC) on N eqivalent ratio + PGPR, T₄: 75% RDF + PGPR, T₅: 50% FYM + 50% VC + PGPR). Though non-significant but higher rhizome sprouting, plant height and tillers per plant, rhizome length and yield were displayed by ginger crop under D asper than D hamiltonii. Treatment comprising FYM on N equivalent ratio + PGPR showed best results in respect of growth and yield parameters of ginger crop viz rhizome sprouting, tillers per plant, rhizome length and yield.