Vol. 7, Special Issue 6 (2019)
Studies on impact of organic and inorganic fertilizers on growth and yield of Ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal]
Author(s): Aishwarya Routray, Kaushal Kumar and Jai Kumar
Abstract: The positive impact of fertilizers on growth and yield parameters of many medicinal plants has been widely documented, but it is lacking in plants like Ashwagandha under the edapho-climatic conditions of Jharkhand. Since Ashwagandha is used extensively in many ayurvedic preparations and it is one of the highly commercial crops grown by the farmers, hence a research trial was conducted by taking different combinations of organic and inorganic fertilizers to study its impact on growth and yield parameters of Ashwagandha at BAU, Ranchi. Standardization of fertilizer application is necessary for remunerative cultivation and one of the primary aims of scientific cultivation of medicinal & aromatic plants. Significant impact of fertilizer combinations was observed on different growth and yield parameters of Ashwagandha. Karanj cake @ 5q/ha-1+ N50:P30:K40 kg/ha yields maximum height while the FYM @ 5q/ha +N30:P40:K50 kg/ha yield lowest height. The maximum leaf length was 7.55cm given by Neem cake@5q/ha + N50:P30:K40 kg/ha and the minimum length was observed in FYM @ 5q/hq + N30:P40:K50 kg/ha (6.02cm). The highest number of branches (10.05), highest stem collar diameter (24.35mm), maximum primary root length (50.10cm), highest primary root diameter(21.36mm) was observed in Karanj cake @ 5q/ha + N40:P50:K30 kg/ha. The maximum dry root yield was obtained (908.04kg/ha) in Karanj cake @ 5q/ha + N40:P50:K30 kg/ha and the lowest yield (390.96kg/ha) in FYM @ 5 q/ha + N30:P40:K50 kg/ha. Dry root yield showed significant correlation with stem collar diameter, number of berries per plant, seed yield per plant and with the primary root diameter. The path analysis value showed that the direct effect was given by plant height (0.605), stem collar diameter (1.087), number of branches per plant (-0.422), leaf length(0.411), leaf width(0.211), number of berries per plant(0.765), number of seeds/berry (0.652), seed yield per plant (-0.624), primary root length (-0.229), primary root diameter (-0.253) and the number of secondary roots per plant (-0.756) shows direct effect with dry root yield.
Pages: 629-635 | 451 Views 49 Downloads
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How to cite this article:
Aishwarya Routray, Kaushal Kumar and Jai Kumar. Studies on impact of organic and inorganic fertilizers on growth and yield of Ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal]. International Journal of Chemical Studies. 2019; 7(6): 629-635.
