ECONOMICAL PROSPECTS OF PROTECTED CULTIVATION

The experiment was conducted to determine the growth and yield response of pak choi (Brasiccarapa var. Chinkang Genghis Khan) to different foliar fertilizers (viz. vermitea, commercial foliar fertilizer, effective microorganisms [EM-1] and natural farming inputs [NFI]) under protected cultivation. It aimed to evaluate the influence of the different foliar fertilizers on pak choi in terms of growth characteristics, yield components, and pests and disease incidence. Similarly, to conclude which among the foliar fertilizers evaluated will be most the economical for pak choi production. The study was done in the DA-ATI IV-A and LSPU Organic Agriculture Learning Site in the Laguna State Polytechnic University, Siniloan, Laguna in December 2015 to February 2016. A total of 300 plants were used as experimental units in the study. Every treatment was replicated three times and each replication has 10 polyethylene bags planted with two plants each. Data was collected and analysed with the use of the Duncans Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Results revealed that the foliar fertilizers used have no remarkable effect on the weekly height, weekly growth rate, length of leaves, and shoot root ratio of pak choi. Nevertheless, commercial fertilizer significantly increased the mean number of leaves (7.53cm), width of leaves (15.10cm), economic and biological yields (105.10 grams and 106.88 grams, respectively) of pak choi compared with the rest of the treatments, except for vermitea which produced a comparable width of leaves (15.04cm). Also, a significantly lower number of the damaged leaves caused by looper (TrichoplusianiHÃ¼bner) was noted on plants treated with commercial foliar fertilizer (0.51 leaf per plant). The highest net income was obtained by commercial foliar fertilizer-treated plants, but plants treated with vermitea earned the highest return of investment (ROI). Therefore, the utilization of vermitea in pak choi production can reduce the cost of fertilizer and contribute to an economical production system under protected cultivation.

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Broccoli yield in response to top-dressing fertilization with green manure and biofertilizer

Revista CERES ◽

10.1590/s0034-737x2011000500016 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 58 (5) ◽

pp. 645-650 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gilberto Bernardo de Freitas ◽

Márcio Sousa Rocha ◽

Ricardo Henrique Silva Santos ◽

Letícia Monteiro da Silva Freitas ◽

Leandro de Almeida Resende

Keyword(s):

Green Manure ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Dry Mass ◽

Experimental Unit ◽

Productive Performance ◽

Mineral Fertilization ◽

Randomized Design ◽

Protected Cultivation ◽

Completely Randomized Design ◽

Organic Compost

The objective of this work was to evaluate the productive performance of broccoli under different top-dressing organic fertilizations. The experiment was conducted under protected cultivation, in a completely randomized design with four replications, with two plants per experimental unit. Broccoli seedlings were produced in a commercial substrate in styrofoam trays. The seedlings were transplanted to plastic pots containing 10.0 L of substrate made up of subsoil and organic compost at the ratio of 3:1 (v/v), respectively, which is equivalent to about 20.0 t ha-1 of organic compost at planting. After seedling establishment, the top-dressing fertilization treatments were applied: gliricidia biomass associated or not with liquid biofertilizer of cattle manure to the soil and bokashi. Two control treatments were established: one with mineral fertilization recommended for the crop and the other without top-dressing fertilization. The broccoli production was evaluated (commercial standard). Plants that received mineral fertilizer were more productive, however, they were not significantly different (p>0.05), by Dunnet test, from the plants fertilized with 2.5 t ha-1 gliricidiabiomass (dry mass) associated with liquid biofertilizer (2.0 L m-2) applied to soil. Top-dressing fertilizations with only gliricidia, at 2.5 and 5.0 t ha-1 of biomass (dry mass), resulted in no significant increase in production of broccoli inflorescence. The use of bokashi in addition to gliricidia biomass and liquid biofertilizer reduced the efficiency of the fertilization compared with plants that received only gliricidia and liquid biofertilizer.

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