Effect of various levels of nitrogen and phosphorus on plant growth and curd yield of cauliflower (brassica oleracea l.)

In order to examine effect of nitrogen and phosphorus levels on the plant growth and curd yield of cauliflower, the trial was laid out in a three replicated randomized complete block design, using six nitrogen and phosphorous (NP) levels. The treatments including T1=Control, T2=50 - 50 kg ha-1, T3=75 - 60 kg ha-1, T4=100-70 kg ha-1, T5=125-80 kg ha-1, T6=150-90 kg ha-1 and T7=175-100 kg ha-1 were applied in the present study. The results showed that all the growth and yield traits of cauliflower were significantly affected by nitrogen and phosphorus levels. The crop fertilized with highest NP level of 175-100 kg ha-1 produced 51.16 cm plant height, 44.67 days to harvest, 20.11 cm head diameter, 1.12 kg head weight without folded leaves, 1.33 kg head weight with folded leaves, 26.93 kg yield plot-1 and 17.95 t ha-1 curd yield. Similarly, the crop supplied with NP level of 150-90 kg ha-1 resulted in 49.49 cm plant height, 44.67 days to harvest, 19.45 cm head diameter, 1.10 kg head weight without folded leaves, 1.13 kg head weight with folded leaves, 26.58 kg yield plot-1 and 17.72 t ha-1 curd yield. There was a simultaneous decrease in the values of all the growth and yield traits with decreasing NP levels of 125-80 kg ha-1, 100-70 kg ha-1, 75-60 kg ha-1 and 50-50 kg ha-1. It was concluded that the growth and yield of cauliflower was significantly influenced by varying nitrogen and phosphorus levels; however, the differences in growth and yield traits under NP levels of 150-90 and 175-100 kg ha-1 were non-significant (P>0.05). Hence, 150-90 kg ha-1 NP was an optimum level for achieving economically maximum yield performance in cauliflower variety Snowball.