Standardization of organic manures on growth of winter cherry

(Withania somnifera)

 

Suresh, V1, R. Kousalya2, B. Gopu3*, J. Kabariel4, A. Rajkumar5

1Karunya Institute of Technology and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

2Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

3Department of Horticulture, SRM College of Agricultural Sciences,

SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu – 603 201, Tamil Nadu, India.

4Musiri Institute of Technology, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India.

5Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, India.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: gopu16388@gmail.com, gopub@srmist.edu.in

 

ABSTRACT:

The field experiment was conducted at RVS Padmavathy College of Horticulture, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, in 2019. The Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) was used to plan the investigation and consists of two factors viz., factor I - soil application (S1 – farmyard manure at 25.0tonnes/hectare, S2 – vermicompost at 2.50 tonnes/hectare, S3 – VAM at 25.0kilogram/hectare and S4 – phosphobacteria at 2.0kilogram/ hectare) and factor II – (F1 – humic acid at 0.3 percentage and F2 – panchakavuya at 3 percent) constituting eight treatments. The interactions between soil and bio-stimulant application greatly influenced plant height, secondary branches, leaf length, leaf width, and stem girth. Among the treatments, S2F1 (vermicompost at 2.50 tonnes/hectare + humic acid at 0.3 per cent) observed the highest plant height (26.14cm and 40.67cm at 60 and 120 DAS, respectively), number of secondary branches (4.95), leaf length (7.50cm), leaf width (4.50cm) and stem girth (1.45cm).

 

KEYWORDS: Organic manures, Bio-stimulants, Growth, Winter cherry.

 

 

INTRODUCTION: 

Winter cherry (Withania somnifera) is one of the most important medicinal herbs in India's Siddha System of medicine and has been cultivated for centuries in India1. Winter cherry is also known as Indian ginseng or ashwagandha, which belongs to the solanaceae family 2,3. The important medicinal properties of winter cherry have been steroidal lactones called withanolides and withanine4,5,6. Withanolides are the most critical primary and secondary metabolites identified in their roots, leaves, and fruits.7 Winter cherry increases cell-mediated immunity, strengthening the body’s ability to fight against illness8,9. The usage of the root of winter cherry includes as a hypnotic for treating alcoholism (along with leaf); treatment for brain fog, childhood emaciation, colds and chills, emphysematous dysphonia, glandular swelling, fever10.

 

Impotence and to counteract the loss of memory and muscular energy11. Nervous exhaustion and the roots used for sexual stimulant and to encourage uterine contractions12,13. In winter cherry, application of castor cake at 2.5 t ha-1 combined with vermicompost at 1 t ha-1 recorded highest growth and root yield. The combined application of azospirillum and phosphobacteria each of 5kg ha-1 recorded the highest root yield14. In Mentha piperita crops were sprayed with bio-stimulants of humic acid (0g per litre, 2.5g per litre, and 5g per litre) and amino spot (0, 1ml per litre and 1.5ml per litre) (Algae extract) there was an effect on growth. The outcome recorded a significant encouraging trend in the highest growth parameters by foliar application of humic acid. The interaction between pruning and bio-stimulants effect also resulted in a substantial increase in the higher values of plant height, fresh biomass, and dry biomass when the plants were foliar spraying with humic acid at 5g per litre + amino spot at 1.5ml per litre. Combining organic manures will increase soil fertility, improve plant productivity and associated nutrient balances, reduce pollution risks, and reduce fertilizer use 15. Pesticide residues and pollutants are one of the leading causes of the medicinal herb’s inferior quality. These impurities (heavy metals) and residues (pesticides and other synthetic chemicals) can collect during the production of therapeutic herbs. They may have a negative effect on customer health16. Organic nutrient management is crucial right now because of the winter cherry's commercial value on both domestic and foreign markets and any potential environmental benefits. The crop is mainly grown on residual fertility. Hence, no fertilizers were applied. It has enormous internal consumption in India and is also being exported 17. The only way to grow high-quality medicinal herbs in this situation without using large amounts of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is by applying organic farming technology. Thus, the main objective of the present study was to evaluate the different types of organic fertilizers on the growth characters of winter cherry.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The field experiments on the effect of organic manures on the growth of winter cherry (Withania somnifera) were conducted at RVSPCH, Sempatti, Dindigul, in 2019. The Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) experiments had eight treatment combinations with three replications. The winter cherry is grown in clay-loamy soil. Throughout the experimental period, all the recommended cultural operations were performed.

 

The results from the experiments were statistically analyzed. Web Agri Stat Package (WASP) 2.0, designed by ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa (http://icargoares.in/wasp2.0/index.php), was used to compare mean using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at a 5 % significant level.

 

Treatment details

Factor I – Soil application

Factor II – Foliar application

S1: FYM at 25 tonnes/ hectare

S2: Vermicompost at 2.5 tonnes/ hectare

S3: VAM at 25 kilo gram/ hectare

S4: Phosphobacteria at 2 kilo gram/ hectare

F1: Humic acid at 0.3 percentage

F2: Panchakavuya at 3 percentage

 

Treatment combinations:

Treatment

Treatment details

S 1F1

:

FYM at 25 tonnes/hectare + Humic acid at 0.3 percentage

S1F2

:

FYM at 25 tonnes/hectare + Panchakavuya at 3 percentage

S2F1

:

Vermicompost at 2.5 tonnes/hectare + Humic acid at 0.3 percentage

S2F2

:

Vermicompost at 2.5 tonnes/hectare + Panchakavuya at 3 percentage

S3F1

:

VAM at 25 kilo gram/hectare + Humic acid at 0.3 percentage

S3F2

:

VAM at 25 kilo gram/hectare + Panchakavuya at 3 percentage

S4F1

:

Phosphobacteria at 2 kilogram/hectare + Humic acid at 0.3 percentage

S4F2

:

Phosphobacteria at 2 kilogram/hectare + Panchakavuya at 3 percentage

 

RESULTS:

In the present study, soil application, bio-stimulant treatments, and the number of treatments significantly affected plant height, secondary branches, leaf length, stem girth, and leaf width of winter cherry (Table 1). The treatment vermicompost at 2.5 t/ha (S2) registered the highest plant, secondary branches, length of leaf, width of the leaf, and stem girth it was followed by VAM at 25 kg/ha (S3). The lowest plant height, secondary branches, leaf length, leaf width, and stem girth were recorded in FYM at 25 t/ha (S1).

 

Table 1: Effect of organic amendments on plant height (cm) at 60 and 120 DAS, secondary branches, leaf length (cm), leaf width (cm), and stem girth (cm) of winter cherry

Treatments

Plant height (cm)

No. of secondary branches

Leaf length (cm)

Leaf width (cm)

Stem girth (cm)

60 (DAS)

120 (DAS)

S1

22.91

39.42

4.09

7.12

4.12

1.31

S2

25.58

39.88

4.89

7.45

4.45

1.43

S3

24.18

39.47

4.70

7.32

4.32

1.41

S4

23.73

38.79

4.45

7.23

4.23

1.38

SE.d

0.096

0.221

0.038

0.011

0.008

0.017

CD (0.05)

0.235

0.542

0.093

0.027

0.015

0.041

F1

24.42

39.04

4.59

7.32

4.32

1.39

F2

23.78

39.74

4.47

7.24

4.24

1.37

SE.d

0.036

0.057

0.02

0.005

0.005

0.025

CD (0.05)

0.084

0.133

0.047

0.014

0.013

0.062

S1F1

23.27

39.16

4.15

7.16

4.16

1.32

S1F2

22.56

37.67

4.04

7.08

4.08

1.31

S2F1

26.14

40.67

4.95

7.50

4.50

1.45

S2F2

25.02

39.91

4.84

7.40

4.40

1.42

S3F1

24.38

39.72

4.75

7.35

4.35

1.41

S3F2

23.98

39.23

4.66

7.28

4.28

1.41

S4F1

23.91

39.57

4.53

7.25

4.25

1.39

S4F2

23.56

39.09

4.37

7.21

4.21

1.37

SE.d

0.109

0.236

0.047

0.014

0.011

0.021

CD (0.05)

0.263

0.573

0.114

0.034

0.029

0.048

 

 

 

The comparison of bio-stimulants observed that the treatment of humic acid at 0.3 percentage (F1) recorded the most significant plant height, secondary branches (number), leaf length, leaf width, and stem girth. The following treatment panchagavya at three percentage (F2) recorded the least plant height, leaf length, number of secondary branches, leaf width, and stem girth.

 

The combination between soil nutrient application and bio-stimulant application greatly influenced plant height, leaf length, secondary branches, leaf width, and stem girth of winter cherry. The treatment of 2.5 tonnes per hectare of vermicompost + 0.3 percentage of humic acid (S2F1) observed higher plant height, leaf length, number of secondary branches, leaf width, and stem girth. It was followed by the treatment of 2.5 tonnes per hectare of vermicompost +humic acid at 0.3 percentage (S2F2). The lowest plant height, the number of secondary branches, leaf length, leaf width, and stem girth were registered in the treatment 25 tonnes per hectare of FYM +0.3 percentage of panchakavuya (S1F2).

 

DISCUSSION:

After adding vermicompost to the soil, the plant height, leaf length, stem girth, and leaf width increased, perhaps due to the availability of growth compounds, nitrogen fixation, other essential plant nutrients, and more phosphorus through a symbiotic mycorrhizal association. Growth promoters, including cytokinins and auxins in vermicompost, responsible for cell elongation and cell division in plants, will stimulate plant growth. As a soil enhancer and plant-growing medium, organic nutrient sources (FYM and vermicompost) can provide plants with nutrients gradually but consistently throughout the plant growth cycle18-19. When vermicompost was applied to the soil, it had a distinct advantage over other organic manures regarding growth stimulants. It contains both major and minor nutrients in plant form and antibiotic enzymes, growth hormones, and vitamins. Through organic nutrient management practices, some positive results have been seen regarding enhancing quality in medicinal and aromatic plants20.

 

A critical factor in enhancing plant growth attributes is plant nutrition. Humic compounds are organic manures developed by decomposing agricultural and animal manures. When humates are used, they contribute effectively to the decomposition of organic matter, minerals, and rocks; they furthermore change the physical properties of soil, improve soil structure, and encourage the chelation of various elements, which produces them available to plants; they also help to correct plant chlorosis; develop photosynthesis density; and promote plant root respiration, all of which lead to increased plant growth21. As a result of the enhanced plant membrane permeability caused by humate treatment, numerous beneficial bacteria grew better, cell division quickened, and various agricultural, horticultural, and turf grasses grew better roots, as did many trees22.

 

CONCLUSION :

Based on this study, the treatment vermicompost at 2.5 t/ha (S2) would result in better plant growth in winter cherry. Hence, the foliar application is (humic acid at 0.3 percentage) an organic-based manure which would make possible the cultivation of winter cherry under organic production.

 

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Received on 18.11.2022            Modified on 20.03.2023

Accepted on 17.06.2023           © RJPT All right reserved

Research J. Pharm. and Tech 2023; 16(12):5593-5596.

DOI: 10.52711/0974-360X.2023.00904