ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Nutrition and Sustainable Diets
Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1566850
This article is part of the Research TopicFood Systems for Nutrition: Converging Economic, Social, and Environmental SustainabilityView all 17 articles
Enhancing Cauliflower Productivity and Soil Sustainability Through Integrated Nutrient Practices: "Insights into Root Dynamics, Soil Health and Economics"
Provisionally accepted
- Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, India
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The present study investigated the impact of integrated nutrient management (INM) practices on cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) cultivation, focusing on root characteristics, soil nutrient status, microbial counts and economic returns. Study was conducted over two consecutive years at the Experimental Research Farm, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. Cauliflower variety PSBK-1 was planted in a randomized block design using nine treatments combinations of different organic and inorganic fertilizers. Results revealed that the treatment combination (T8) with integration of organic (Farmyard manure, Sheep manure, Jeevamrit) and inorganic fertilizers (Urea, SSP and MOP) produced the maximum yield (27.03 t/ha), root mass density (0.71 g/m³ × 10⁻³) and root volume density (4.32 m³/m³ × 10⁻³). Enhanced microbial activity was also observed under T8 treatment combination, with the maximum bacterial, fungal, and actinomycetes counts, attributed to the synergistic effects of organic amendments and liquid formulations. Soil physico-chemical analysis indicated significant improvements in available nitrogen (334.24 kg/ha), phosphorus (45.70 kg/ha), and potassium (233.48 kg/ha), along with optimal pH and organic carbon levels. Economic analysis demonstrated that INM significantly improved the benefit-cost ratio (i.e.2.75 in T8 compared to 2.27 in RDF), making it a viable strategy for sustainable and profitable cauliflower production. The findings underscore the importance of balanced nutrient application in enhancing crop yield, soil health, and environmental sustainability.
Keywords: Integrated, Sustainable, Jeevamrit, nutrient, productivity
Received: 25 Jan 2025; Accepted: 01 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Dutta, Thakur, Bhan and Mandial. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Arushi Mandial, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, India
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