M. Priyanga, R. Krishnamoorthy, C. Ravikumar and P. Senthilvalavan
Abstract
Castor is a significant non-edible oilseed crop with substantial commercial value.Tamil Nadu faces low productivity primarily because farming occurs on marginal land with rainfed conditions and nutrient depleted soils. Therefore, implementing effective nutrient management practices is essential. Challenges such as poor soil fertility, insufficient and imbalanced nutrition and minimal use of organic manures significantly hinder crop production. To enhance soil fertility, integrated nutrient management practices is recommended as a promising solution. This research focused on the strategic use of chemical fertilizers, enriched farmyard manure, vermicompost, coir pith compost and urban compost. It highlighted the importance of an integrated nutrient management system in achieving balanced soil fertility and optimizing nutrient supply for plants. A field experiment was carried out at the experimental farm of the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India, from July to November 2023, to examine the impact of integrated nutrient management on the growth and nutrient uptake of castor. The study comprised ten different treatments, each replicated three times in a randomized block design. These treatments included various levels of recommended fertilizer doses combined with various source of organic manures, such as enriched farmyard manure, vermicompost, coir pith compostand urban compost. The results of field experimentation revealed that application of 100% recommended dose of fertilizer and vermicompost @ 5t ha-1 significantly increased all growth parameters viz., plant height, number of branches plant1, root length, dry matter production, leaf area index, crop growth rate and nutrient uptake of castor.