Effect of pelleted vermicompost on yield and yield attributes of organic greengram (Vigna radiata L.)
Abstract
A field experiment entitled “Effect of Pelleted Vermicompost on Yield and Yield Attributes of Organic Greengram (Vigna radiata L.)” was conducted during kharif 2022 at the Organic Farming Unit, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with three replications, comprising 15 treatment combinations involving four levels of pelleted vermicompost (1, 2, 3 and 4 t ha⁻¹) along with control, and three scheduling treatments. Greengram variety GM-4 was sown at spacing of 30 cm × 10 cm using seed rate of 15 kg ha⁻¹. The results revealed that application of pelleted vermicompost significantly enhanced yield attributes and yield of greengram. The highest number of pods per plant (21.92), seeds per pod (11.52) and seed weight per pod (0.53 g) were recorded under 4 t ha⁻¹ pelleted vermicompost. Correspondingly, maximum seed yield (1190 kg ha⁻¹), haulm yield (3038 kg ha⁻¹) and biological yield (4228 kg ha⁻¹) were also obtained under the same treatment. Among scheduling treatments, split application (50% at sowing + 25% at 4 WAS + 25% at 6 WAS) proved superior. The maximum net return (₹ 73,077 ha⁻¹) was recorded under 4 t ha⁻¹ pelleted vermicompost. Thus, application of pelleted vermicompost at 4 t ha⁻¹ along with split scheduling is recommended for enhancing productivity and profitability of organic greengram.
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Introduction
Greengram (Vigna radiata L.) is an important pulse crop cultivated during the kharif season and serves as a major source of dietary protein in India (Kumar and Ali, 2004) [3] . It also improves soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation. However, productivity under organic farming systems is relatively low due to limited nutrient availability and poor nutrient synchronization. Globally, organic farming is practiced on about 76 million hectares of land (FiBL, 2021) [6] , while in India about 9.11 million hectares are under organic cultivation (APEDA, 2023). Efficient nutrient management using organic inputs is therefore essential for improving productivity and sustainability. Vermicompost is a rich source of macro-and micronutrients, enzymes and beneficial microorganisms, which improve soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Pelleting of vermicompost enhances its handling, storage and nutrient use efficiency by ensuring slow and sustained nutrient release (Hernandez et al., 2006) [8] . However, information regarding optimum dose and scheduling of pelleted vermicompost in greengram is limited. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken.
Materials and Methods
The experiment was conducted during kharif 2022 at the Organic Farming Unit, Instructional Agronomy Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur (24°35′ N latitude and 73°42′ E longitude, 581 m above mean sea level). The region falls under Agro-climatic Zone IVa (Sub-humid Southern Plain and Aravalli Hills). The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with three replications, comprising 15 treatment combinations involving four levels of pelleted vermicompost (1, 2, 3 and 4 t ha⁻¹) along with control, and three scheduling treatments. The treatment combinations were randomized with the help of random number table (Fisher, 1950) [7] Greengram variety GM-4 was sown at spacing of 30 cm × 10 cm using seed rate of 15 kg ha⁻¹.
Preparation of vermicompost pellets
Well dried vermicompost is taken after proper sieving into a container and bentonite as binding agent, is thoroughly mixed and then taken into the pellet making machine which makes small cylindrical pellets. The cylindrical pellets are than placed in centrifugal machine which helps in transforming the cylindrical pellets into spherical pellets.
Results and Discussion
Yield Attributes Application of pelleted vermicompost significantly influenced yield attributes. The highest number of pods per plant (21.92) was recorded under 4 t ha⁻¹, which showed an increase of 7.71, 7.93, 12.74 and 22.66 per cent over 3, 2, 1 t ha⁻¹ and control, respectively. Similarly, number of seeds per pod (11.52) increased by 8.94, 17.59, 27.36 and 39.88 per cent over respective treatments. Weight of seed per pod was also significantly higher under 4 t ha⁻¹ pelleted vermicompost. However, test weight remained statistically non-significant.
Among scheduling treatments, split application (S₃) recorded significantly higher values compared to S₂ and S₁, indicating better nutrient synchronization. The improvement in yield attributes may be attributed to enhanced nutrient availability, increased microbial activity and better translocation of assimilates towards reproductive structures. These findings are in conformity with Chavan et al. (2015) [4] , Ahmadpour et al. (2016) [2] and Chaudhari et al. (2023) [5] .
Yield
Application of pelleted vermicompost significantly increased seed yield, haulm yield and biological yield. The highest seed yield (1190 kg ha⁻¹) was recorded under 4 t ha⁻¹, which was 7.58, 19.75, 30.49 and 56.46 per cent higher than 3, 2, 1 t ha⁻¹ and control, respectively. Haulm yield and biological yield followed a similar trend. Among scheduling treatments, S₃ (split application) produced significantly higher yield than S₂ and S₁, due to continuous nutrient supply throughout crop growth stages. The increase in yield may be attributed to improved soil structure, enhanced nutrient availability and slow release of nutrients from pelleted vermicompost. Presence of humic substances further improves nutrient uptake and plant growth. Similar results were reported by Afsharmanesh et al. (2016) [1] .
Conclusion
The present investigation clearly demonstrated that application of pelleted vermicompost significantly improved yield attributes and yield of organic greengram. Among the treatments, application of pelleted vermicompost at 4 t ha⁻¹ proved most effective. Split application (50% at sowing + 25% at 4 WAS + 25% at 6 WAS) further enhanced crop performance. Thus, application of pelleted vermicompost at 4 t ha⁻¹ along with split scheduling can be recommended for achieving higher productivity and profitability of organic greengram under similar agro-climatic conditions.
Acknowledgement
AcknowledgmentWe are intensely thankful to the Department of Agronomy, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur for providing us facilities for quality analysis of greengram.
References
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