Effect of organic manures and biofertilizers on seed yield and soil nutrient status after harvest of spinach beet (Beta vulgaris var. bengalensis)

A field experiment was conducted at Vegetable Experimental Field, SKUAST- K Shalimar during Rabi season 2016-17 to evaluate the effect of organic manures and biofertilizers on seed yield and soil nutrient status after harvest of spinach beet. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with nine treatment combinations replicated three times. The treatments comprised of organic manures viz., farm yard manure, sheep manure, vermicompost, mustard cake and two types of bio-fertilizers namely Azospirillum and PSB, including RFD (recommended fertilizer dose) as control. Results revealed that sole application of vermicompost @ 3.0 t ha-1 increased the seed yield per plot (0.437 kg), seed yield per hectare (11.02 q), 100 seed weight (1.93), available phosphorous ha-1 (22.96 kg), available potassium ha-1 (214.60 kg), organic carbon (1.33 %) and electrical conductivity (0.120 dS m-1). Results further indicated that application of biofertilizers @ 5.0 kg ha-1 in combination with vermicompost @ 3.0 t ha-1 (T6) significantly increased the seed yield per plot (0.633 kg), seed yield per hectare (15.88 q), 100 seed weight (2.33), available nitrogen ha-1 (287.16 kg), available phosphorous ha-1(28.91 kg), available potassium ha-1 (229.03 kg), organic carbon (1.35 %) and electrical conductivity (0.122 dS m-1). Treatments RFD (control) and mustard cake recorded the lowest values for seed yield and soil parameters.