Effect of Panchagavya, Jivamrita and Vermiwash on Yield of Knol-Khol (Brassica Oleracea L. Var. Gongylodes) Under Organic Conditions

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024–25 to evaluate the influence of different organic nutrient management practices on the yield performance of Knol-Khol (Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes) under Bundelkhand conditions. The experiment comprised eight treatments, including Panchagavya, Jivamrita, Vermiwash, their combinations, Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF), and an untreated control, arranged in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The Organic Agriculture Farm, Karguan Ji, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, under a semi-arid subtropical climate on sandy loam soil with neutral to slightly alkaline pH (7.48) and medium fertility status. The initial soil contained 0.48% organic carbon, 236.5 kg ha⁻¹ available nitrogen, 19.2 kg ha⁻¹ available phosphorus, and 247.8 kg ha⁻¹ available potassium, providing suitable conditions for evaluating organic nutrient management. The uniform soil fertility and favorable climatic conditions ensured reliable treatment comparisons, as reflected by the low coefficients of variation and highly significant treatment effects observed in the ANOVA. The yield parameters recorded were knob diameter (cm), knob weight (g), and total yield (t ha⁻¹). Statistical analysis using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences among treatments for all the characters studied. The combined application of Panchagavya (4%) + Jivamrita (20%) (T₄) produced the highest knob diameter (9.20 cm), knob weight (410.30 g), and total yield (19.80 t ha⁻¹), which was significantly superior over all other treatments. The lowest values were recorded in the untreated control. The study demonstrated that integrated organic nutrient management enhanced productivity through improved nutrient availability, microbial activity, and better physiological efficiency of the crop.