EFFECT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF OKRA

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted from March to August 2023 at the research field of the Department of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur to evaluate the effects of various organic fertilizers on okra production. The experiment was designed using a two-factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Three okra varieties (BARI Dherosh-1, Hira, and Vendi Kochi) and four fertilizers combination were tested: F1 (Cowdung 7 t ha-1 + recommended doses of fertilizers: Urea = 150 kg ha-1, TSP = 300 kg ha⁻ ¹, MOP = 150 kg ha-1), F2 (Poultry litter compost 7 t ha-1 + 75% recommended doses of fertilizers), F3 (Biochar 7 t ha-1 + 75% recommended doses of fertilizers), and F4 (Vermicompost 7 t ha-1 + 75% recommended doses of fertilizers). The results indicated that the Hira variety combined with the F2 treatment (Poultry litter compost 7 t ha-1 + 75% recommended doses of fertilizers) positively influenced germination time, days to first flower initiation, and days to first flowering. The combination of BARI Dherosh-1 with the F2 treatment also showed significant improvements in various growth and yield parameters, including plant height, leaf number, branch number, leaf length and breadth, nodal distance, number of green fruits per plant, green fruit length per plant, edible fruit weight per plant and plot, and overall edible fruit yield per hectare. Furthermore, this combination produced the highest seed yield, including seed weight per fruit, seed yield per plant and plot, and 1000 seed weight. At harvest, the F2 treatment yielded the highest number of green fruits per plant (26.12), fruit length (12.29 cm), fruit weight per plant (310.53 g), fruit weight per plot (4634.1 g), and edible fruit yield (15.51 t ha-1). It also achieved the highest seed yield per plant (78.82 g), seed yield per plot (1194.8 g), seed yield per hectare (4.02 t ha-1), and 1000 seed weight (54.67 g). Therefore, BARI Dherosh-1 was showed as the best variety compared to Hira and Vendi kochi. Among the four fertilizers, the F2 (Poultry litter compost 7 t ha-1 + 75% recommended doses of fertilizers) was identified as the most effective for enhancing okra production.