Vermicompost and integrated nutrient management approach for yield enhancement of capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) under hill agro ecosystem of Meghalaya, North East India

The present study was carried out at farmers’ field of Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya to test the effect of integrated nutrient management with vermi-compost for yield improvement of capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) and its effect on soil nutrient status. The experiment was conducted by using 3 treatments: T1: Vermicompost @ 1.0 t/ha + 50% RDF (RDF: N: P₂O₅: K₂0::120: 80: 60 kg/ha), T2: Vermicompost@ 2.0 t/ha + Lime @ 500kg/ha + 2% urea spray at branching & pod initiation stage, T3: Farmers’ practice (imbalance fertilizer with N: P₂O₅: K₂O:: 40:25:15 kg/ha) with 5 replications following randomized block design during 2016 and 2017. From the results it was revealed that Vermicompost @ 1.0 t/ha + 50% RDF showed significant increase in fruit yield i.e., 132 q/ha and B.C ratio of 2.98 followed by Vermicompost@ 2.0 t/ha + Lime @ 500kg/ha + 2% urea spray at branching and pod initiation stage (108 q/ha yield, B.C ratio 2.25) and farmers’ practice (86 q/ha yield, B.C ratio 2.10). Moreover, improved soil nutrient status was achieved in T1 followed by T2 and T3. There was an increase of 123.16% in organic carbon, 123.76% nitrogen, 131% available phosphorus and 169.07% potassium recorded in the soil after the harvest of the crop as compared to initial stage of soil before the implementation of Treatment 1.