PERFORMANCE OF CAULIFLOWER PRODUCTION UNDER MANGO BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM INFLUENCED BY SPACING AND FERTILIZER IN CHARLAND

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in the charland of Gangachara Upazilla under Rangpur district during October, 2019 to December, 2019 to evaluate the performance of cauliflower production under mango based agroforestry system influenced by different plant spacings and different fertilizer application packages. The experiment was laid out in a two factorial RCBD with 3 (three) replications. Factor A was three plant spacings viz. S1= 75 × 50 cm (Broader spacing), S2= 60 × 45 (Intermediate spacing), S3= 50 × 40 (Closer spacing) and Factor B was four Fertilizer and manure application packages viz. F0= No Fertilizer, F1= Cow-dung, F2= Poultry manure and F3= Chemical fertilizer. The total number of experimental plots were 36. The result of the experiment revealed that plant height (30, 60 and 75 DAP) as cm, number of leaves/plant (30, 60 and 75 DAP), outer leaf length (30, 60 and 75 DAP) as cm, outer leaf width (30, 60 and 75 DAP) as cm, yield curd weight without leaf/plant (g), yield of curd without leaf/plot (kg/ha) and yield of curd without leaf/hectare (t/ha) of cauliflower significantly varied due to different plant spacings and fertilizer and manure applications at cultivated under the mango based agroforestry system. In case of main effect of different plant spacings, the maximum curd yield without leaf (14703 kg/ha) was recorded from the closer spacing i.e. 50 cm x 40 cm (S3). On the other hand, the minimum yield (8.8 t/ha) was recorded from the broader spacing i.e. 75cm × 50 cm (S1). In case of main effects of fertilizer and manure applications, the highest curd yield without leaf (17.1 t/ha) was recorded from the plot where fully chemical fertilizer (F3) was applied whereas the lowest yield (8.7 t/ha) was obtained from the plot where no fertilizer (F0) was applied. Again, in case of interaction effects of the different plant spacings and fertilizer and manure applications, the maximum curd yield without leaf (49.73 t/ha) was recorded in the plot where maintained closer spacing i.e. 50cm x 40 cm with chemical fertilizer (S3F4) whereas the minimum curd yield without leaf was (20.97 t/ha) was recorded in the plot where maintained broader spacing i.e. 75 cm x 50 cm with no fertilizer (S1F1). Similarly, the maximum curd yield without leaf per hectare (21.48 t/ha) was recorded in the plot where maintained closer spacing i.e. 50 cm x 40 cm with chemical fertilizer application (S3F3). On the other hand, the minimum curd yield without leaf per hectare (6.52 t/ha) was recorded in the plot where maintained broader spacing i.e. 75 cm x 50 cm with no fertilizer application (S1F0). From the economic analysis, the highest benefitcost ratio (4.08) was recorded from the treatment 75 cm x 50 cm i.e. broader spacing + Chemical Fertilizer application (S1F3). The lowest benefit-cost ratio (1.74) was observed in those plots where cauliflower was grown under 60 cm x 45 cm i.e. intermediate spacing with no fertilizer (S2F0) application. Moreover, in case of economic return, cauliflower cultivation at the floor of mango tree with broader planting space and the application of full chemical fertilizer gave maximum BCR