EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VERMI-COMPOST AND MACRO NUTRIENTS ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF GARLIC (Allium sativum)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Horticulture farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka during October 2019 to July 2020 to study the effect of different levels of vermi-compost and macro nutrients on the growth and yield of garlic. Garlic variety ‘BARI Rashun-3’ was used as planting material in this study. The experiment consists of single factor. Twelve treatment combinations were tested in this experiment: T 0 = Control, T

vermi-compost, T 2 = 4 t ha -1 vermi-compost, T 3 = 6 t ha -1 1 = 2 t ha vermi-compost, T = 50% NPKS (RDF), T 5 = 100% NPKS (RDF), T 6 = 2 t ha -1 vermi-compost + 50% NPKS (RDF), T 7 = 4 t ha -1 vermi-compost + 50% NPKS (RDF), T

vermi-compost + 50% NPKS (RDF), T 9 = 2 t ha -1 vermi-compost + 100% NPKS (RDF), T 10 = 4 t ha -1 vermi-compost + 100% NPKS (RDF) and T

vermi-compost + 100% NPKS (RDF). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 12 treatment combinations having three replications. Data on different growth and yield parameter of garlic were recorded and significant variation was observed for different treatments. Plant height and number of leaves plant -1 value of garlic was recorded to be the maximum from treatment T 10 (4.00 t ha -1 vermi-compost + 100% NPKS (RDF)) at different days after sowing (DAS). But, the highest bulb diameter (3.32 cm), the longest clove (3.44 cm), the highest bulb length (2.43 cm), the maximum number of cloves bulb -1 (21.25), the maximum fresh weight of bulb (35.11 g), the maximum dry weight of bulb (4.95 g), the highest fresh clove weight (6.93 g), the maximum dry clove weight (1.89 g), the maximum fresh weight of leaves plant

(25.31 g), the maximum dry weight of leaves (3.31 g), the highest bulb yield plot

(1.45 kg) and the maximum yield of garlic (14.53 t ha -1 ) was recorded from T11 (6.00 t ha -1 vermi-compost + 100% NPKS (RDF) treatment. The highest benefit cost ratio (2.57) was attained from the treatment combination of T

vermi-compost + 100% NPKS (RDF)). The second best benefit cost ratio (2.52) was acquired in T 10 (4.0 t ha -1 vermi-compost + 100% NPKS (RDF)).