RESPONSE OF BROCCOLI (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.) ON NUTRIENTS AND MULCH MATERIALS

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from October 2017 to February 2018. Broccoli was selected for experimental crop. The experiment consisted of two factors. Factor A: four levels nutrients i.e. N 0 -No nutrients (Control), N 1 -Organic manure (Vermicompost (5t/ha) +

Cowdung (7t/ha) +MOC (3t/ha)), N 2 -Inorganic fertilizer (N 120 P 100 K 140 S 20 B 1.5 Kg/ha), N 3 -Organic + Inorganic (1/2+1/2) and Factor B: Four levels of mulch materials i.e M 0 -No Mulch (Control), M 1 -Black polythene, M 2 - Water hyacinth, M 3 - Ash. This experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Blocked Design with three replications. Nutrients and mulch materials influenced significantly on most of the parameters. For nutrients N 3 performed best in diameter of curd (20.12 cm), weight of primary curd (447.82 g) and yield 15.25

t/ha and minimum in N 0 treatment. For mulch M 1 performed best curd (16.77 cm), weight of main curd (417.32 g) and yield 15.86 t/ha and minimum in M 0. In combined effect, the highest yield (16.77 t/ha) was obtained from N 3 M 1 and the lowest (7.63 t/ha) in N 0 M 0 treatment combination. So organic and inorganic fertilizer with black polythene mulch combinedly performed the best for the growth and curd formation of broccoli. The highest Benefit Cost Ratio 2.46 was noted from the combination of N 3 M 1 treatment combination and the lowest 1.72 from N 0 M 0. So, the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer with black polythene mulching can be used for commercial broccoli production.