EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF CABBAGE (Brassica oleraceae var capitata L.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the Horticulture farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from September 2006 to February 2007 to study the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth and yield of cabbage. The experiment was laid out in the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications[ Factor A: Nitrogen (4 levels), No (0 kg N/ha), N1 (200 kg N/ha), N2 (260 kg N/ha), N3 (320 kg N/ha); Factor B: phosphorus (4 levels), Po (0 kg P20slha), P1 (110 kg P20s/ha), P2 (120 kg P205/ha), P3 (130 kg P205/ha)]. Data on different yield components and yield of cabbage were recorded. N2 as 260 kg per hectare performed the tallest (34.76 cm) plant, while the control treatment gave the shortest (27.27 cm) plant. Nitrogen 260 kg per hectare (N2) required the minimum ( 41) days from transplanting to initiation of head and Nitrogen 260 kg per hectare gave the highest ( 17 .06 cm) thickness of head, while No gave the lowest (13.04 cm) thickness of head. Treatment N2 gave the highest (112.20 t/ha) gross yield of head and control condition showed the lowest (62.09 t/ha). The highest (95.28 t/ha) marketable yield of head was found from N2 while control gave the lowest (48.69 t/ha). The tallest (34.01 cm) plant was recorded from P2 and the shortest (28.31 cm) plant was found from control. The minimum (40) days were required from transplanting to initiation of head and was recorded from P2 and the minimum (54) days needed from transplanting to maturity of head was recorded from P3. The highest ( 16. 71 cm) thickness of head was recorded from P2 and the lowest ( 13 .04 cm) thickness of head was found from control. The highest (93.83 t/ha) gross yield of head was recorded from P2 and the lowest (75.43 t/ha) gross yield of head was obtained from control. The highest (77.39 t/ha) marketable yield of head was recorded from P2 and the lowest (61.41 t/ha) marketable yield of head was found from control. Among the different treatment combination considerable value was recorded from N2P2 (nitrogen 260 kg/ha and 120 kg P20s/ha), while N0Po (no nitrogen and no P205) gave the lowest value for all characters. The maximum (119.58 t/ha) gross yield was recorded from N2P2 and the maximum (101.85 t/ha) marketable yield was recorded from the treatment combination ofN2P2. The highest (2.96) benefit cost ratio was obtained from N2P2 and the lowest (1.22) from NoPo