Integrated nutrient management for enhancement of productivity, profitability and nutrient usages in cauliflower-onion system

Cauliflower-onion system is gaining popularity in urban and semi-urban areas due to various reasons. The nutrient management in the system mode of intensive vegetable production is crucial for better growth and higher vegetable productivity. Along with inorganic nutrient sources, integration with organic sources has been advocated for predominant systems. But the information regarding vegetable crops on the subject is scanty. Hence, a study was conducted for two years in Cauliflower-Onion system with treatments of only recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), green manuring (GM) with RDF, farm yard manure (FYM 10 t ha⁻¹), GM, FYM and biofertilizers in recently released high yielding varieties of cauliflower (Pusa Shukti, Pusa Paushja) and in onion (Pusa Riddhi and Pusa Madhavi). The results revealed that green manuring along with RDF resulted in maximum curd yield of cauliflower for Pusa Shukti (34.3 and 35.0 t ha⁻¹) and Pusa Paushja (30.1 & 30.2 t ha⁻¹), onion bulb yield in Pusa Riddhi (31.5 & 30.1 t ha⁻¹) and Pusa Madhavi (25.6 & 25.1 t ha⁻¹) during 2017 and 2018 respectively. Also higher net return, production efficiency, and profitability were recorded under green manuring with RDF. The overall increase of onion bulb yield of Pusa Riddhi and Pusa Madhavi was 10.8 and 14.5%, while in case of cauliflower it was even higher to the tune of 23.86% (Pusa Shukti) and 19.76% (Pusa Paushja) under GM+RDF over RDF respectively.