Do biodynamic practices influence yield, quality, and economics of cultivation of chilli (<i>Capsicum annuum</i> L.)?
Keywords:
Biodynamic calendar, Biodynamic preparations, Panchagavyam, Integrated nutrient supplyAbstract
Effects of adopting a biodynamic calendar for timing the cultural operations and a manurial schedule involving two biodynamic preparations (separately or together) and panchagavyam (a mixture of 5:1 cow dung and ghee in a 5:3:3:5 cow’s urine, curd, milk, and water formulation) in conjunction with organic manures as well as ‘organic manures alone’, and the recommended practices of nutrient management (RP) on yield, quality, and economics of chilli cultivation were evaluated in a field experiment. Results show that RP (i.e., application of 20 Mg ha-1 farmyard manure+75:40:25 N:P2O5:K2O kg ha-1) significantly improved fruit yield, net returns, and B: C ratio. Although biodynamic calendar and biodynamic preparations had no spectacular effects on the characters studied, application of organic manures generally promoted fruit quality in chilli. Indeed, panchagavyam + organic manure demonstrated the maximum shelf life and the ‘organic manures alone’ (on nutrient equivalent basis) showed the highest ascorbic acid content of chilli fruits.Downloads
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