Yield and quality performance of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) as influenced by organic manure management

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at the Horticulture Farm of the Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from November 2020 to March 2021 to evaluate the performance of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars for higher yield and quality through organic manures. The experiment consisted of two varieties viz., Beet Palong (V1), Red Ball (V2) and eight organic manures treatments viz., T0 (control), T1 (cow dung @ 15 t/ha), T2 (mustard oil cake @ 0.5 t/ha), T3 (vermicompost @ 10 t/ha), T4 (cow dung @ 7.5 t/ha + mustard oil cake @ 0.25 t/ha), T5 (cow dung @ 7.5 t/ha + vermicompost @ 0.5 t/ha), T6 (mustard oil cake @ 0.5 t/ha + vermicompost @ 10 t/ha), T7 (Cowdung @ 5 t/ha + Mustard oil cake @ 0.15 t/ha + vermicompost @ 3 t/ha). The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications. There was a significant effect of varieties and organic manures on beetroot growth, yield and quality. The highest plant height (35.21 cm) was recorded on the Red Ball variety with Cowdung @ 5 t/ha + Mustard oil cake @ 0.15 t/ha + vermicompost @ 3 t/ha (T7) treatment along with a large number of leaves (10.10), highest leaf length (24.33 cm) and breadth (16.03 cm). The root yield of the Red Ball variety was 35.82 t/ha, whereas the root yield of the Beet Palong variety was 25.68 t/ha. In case of organic manures, highest root yield (40.33 t/ha) was measured in T7 treatment whereas the lowest root yield (22.82 t/ha) was found in T2. In combination treatment, Red Ball variety with produced the maximum root yield (48.30 t/ha) in combination with T7 treatment whereas the Beet Palong variety produced the lowest root yield (15.37 t/ha) in combination with T0 treatment. Lower crack percentage (6.67%) and rotten percentage (3.33%) of beetroot were observed in the Red Ball variety (V2) in comparison to Beet Palong (V1). The maximum dry matter content (34.19%) was found in combination treatment V1T5 whereas the minimum dry matter content (16.08%) was observed in V2T0. Therefore, the study indicated that Red Ball variety (V2) in combination with Cowdung @ 5 t/ha + Mustard oil cake @ 0.15 t/ha + vermicompost @ 3 t/ha (T7) along with recommended chemical fertilizer may be recommended for better and better quality of beetroot.