Minimising Agrochemicals Dependency Through Native Fermented Concoctions: Integrated Nutrient Management Practice for Broccoli Production

Minimising agrochemical dependency to maintain soil fertility and productivity in broccoli ( L. var.Plenck), Brassica oleracea italica an integrated nutrient management approach is a prerequisite.Standardizing doses, including inorganic fertilizers and native fermented concoctions, needs to be established for better results.Application of 90% of the recommended dose of nutrients (RDN) as 112.5 N:67.5 P:46.8K kg ha + cow manure of 20 t ha + 5% jeevamrit [10 kg of cow dung, 10 L of cow urine, 2 kg chickpea flour, handful of soil, 2 kg of -1 -1 jaggery (made by boiling, filtering, and condensing sugarcane juice to prepare blocks) in 200 L of water and fermented for 7 days] @ 1.5 Lm -2 biweekly and 5% jeevamrit foliar application at a 20-day interval produced tallest plants (58.58 cm), number of leaves per plant (17.86), days to the formation of 50% marketable heads (86.00), number of secondary heads per plant (12.93), weight of the central head per plant (417.55 g), head size (130.88cm ), marketable yield per plot (12.61 kg) and per hectare (18.67 Mt) and harvest duration (41.17 days).Black rot incidence 2 was least due to treatment with 100% RDN [(125N: 75P: 52K kg ha ) + cow manure 20 t ha ] + Beejamrit (mixed 5 kg cow dung + 5 L cow urine -1 -1+ 250 g lime + handful soil in 20 L water) (20.68 %) used for seed treatment.All native fermented concoctions proved to be beneficial for sustainable vegetable production.