Influence of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield and quality of makoi

Integrated nutreint management (INM) is the judicious use of one or more sources of plant nutrients either individual or in combination. It mainly aims at achieving maximum fertilizer use efficiency, besides reducing toxic residues in both soil and plant. In this view a field experiment was conducted during the year 2002 - 2003 at Department of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra, Bangalore to know the influence of different manures and fertilizers on grrowth, yield and quality of makoi (Solanum nigrum L.), a very important, upcoming medicinal plant. The treatments consisted of organic manures (FYM, city compost and poultry manure) and inorganic fertilizers alone and in different combinations. The results revealed that the plants suppled with 75 per cent nutrients through fertilizers + 25 per cent through poultry manure recorded maximum plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh and dry yield of the whole herb. Whereas, the highest alkaloid content was recorded in the plants supplied only with poultry manure and the maximum alkaloid yield was in plants supplied with 75 per cent nutreints through fertilizers + 25 per cent through city compost.