Effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on yield traits of bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.]

Introduction

Bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.] is an important cucurbitaceous vegetable in India, valued for its nutritional richness, medicinal properties, and economic potential. It is cultivated widely across major states, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh (Anonymous, 2021-24) [1] . The fruits are rich in minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins, and are used in culinary preparations as well as traditional medicine for their cardioprotective, digestive, and anti-hyperlipidaemic properties. Sustaining high yields requires balanced nutrient management. Excessive nitrogen promotes vine growth and reduces fruiting, whereas integrated use of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers improves soil fertility, nutrient availability, and productivity (Patel et al., 2014) [8] . FYM and vermicompost provide essential macro-and micronutrients while enhancing soil properties, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium play critical roles in vegetative growth, root development, photosynthesis, and protein synthesis. However, limited information is available on the combined use of organic and inorganic nutrient sources in bottle gourd under local conditions. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of manure and fertilizer application on the growth, yield, and quality of bottle gourd.

Materials and Methods

The Experiment was carried out during summer season of the year 2024-25 at research farm village Khudmudi under College of Horticulture and research station, Sankara-Patan, Durg (C.G.). The experimental material consisted of eleven treatments including control. Different inputs used include organic (FYM, Vermicompost, Neem Cake) and inorganic fertilizers. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Treatment Details T0 Control T1 100% NPK T2 100% FYM T3 100% Neem Cake T4 100% Vermicompost T5 75% NPK + 12.5% FYM + 12.5% Neem Cake T6 75% NPK + 12.5% VC + 12.5 FYM T7 75% NPK + 9% FYM + 8% Neem Cake + 8% VC T8 50% NPK + 25% FYM + 25% Neem Cake T9 50% NPK + 25% VC + 25% FYM T10 50% NPK + 18% FYM + 16% Neem Cake + 16% VC

Climatic condition

Durg lies within the tropical climatic zone and receives the majority of its annual rainfall, ranging from about 1100 to 1276 mm, during the southwest monsoon season, primarily from June to October. Summers in the region are hot, with temperatures varying between 30 °C and 47 °C, whereas winters are mild, with temperatures ranging from 5 °C to 25 °C.

Results and Discussion

Yield Parameters

The results revealed that the significant differences were observed among treatments for number of fruits per plant, maximum fruit weight, fruit yield per plant, plot, and hectare levels (Table 1). The results showed that the maximum number of fruits per plant (12.6), maximum fruit weight (6725 gm), fruit yield per plant (8.12 kg), per plot (48.74 kg), and per hectare (342.0 q/ha) was recorded under T9 (50% NPK + 25% vermicompost + 25% FYM), followed by T10 (11.8, 665.5 gm, 7.46 kg, 44.77 kg, and 314.1 q/ha, respectively). While the minimum number of fruits per plant (11.8), fruit weight (665.5 gm) and yield was obtained in the control (T0), which produced only 3.49 kg per plant, 20.92 kg per plot, and 146.8 q/ha respectively. The superior performance of T9 may be attributed to the synergistic effects of integrated nutrient management, where inorganic fertilizers supplied readily available nutrients while organic manures improved soil structure, microbial activity, and sustained nutrient release. This balance promoted vigorous vine growth, enhanced photosynthetic efficiency, better flower retention, and fruit development. Similar positive effects of integrated nutrient management on cucurbits have been reported by Anjanappa et al. (2012) [2] and Thriveni et al. (2015) [11] .

Economic parameter

The result showed that Significant variation in cost of cultivation, gross return, net return, and benefit-cost ratio (B:C) was observed under different nutrient management practices (Table 2). The highest cost of cultivation (₹ 73,480), was incurred with T4 (100% vermicompost), while the lowest (₹ 38,480) was in the T0 (control). Gross return was maximum (₹ 2,73,625.3) in T9 (50% NPK + 25% vermicompost + 25% FYM), compared to the minimum (₹ 1,17,452.8) in T0 (control).

Economic parameter

The result showed that Significant variation in cost of cultivation, gross return, net return, and benefit-cost ratio (B:C) was observed under different nutrient management practices (Table 2). The highest cost of cultivation (73,480 ₹), was incurred with T4 (100% vermicompost), while the lowest (38,480.0₹) was in the T0 (control). Gross return was maximum (2,73,625. [2] , Baghel et al. (2017) [3] , and Prasad et al. (2016) [9] in bottle gourd. Hence, the integrated application of 50% NPK with 25% vermicompost and 25% FYM may be recommended as the most effective practice for improving productivity, profitability, and sustainability in bottle gourd cultivation.

References

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