Optimizing fertility levels and spacing for enhanced nutritional quality in garden pea (Pisum sativum L) in the North-Western Himalayas

A field experiment was conducted during 2019-20 and 2020-21 at Vegetable farm of Department of vegetable science, CSKHPKV, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India to study the effect of different plant spacings and fertility levels on the quality parameters of powdery mildew resistant pyramid line of garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) line 1-2. The treatments included three plant spacings (30×10 cm, 45×10 cm, and 60×10 cm) and four fertility levels i.e. 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), 75% RDF, 125% RDF and 50% N through urea + 50% N through farmyard manure (FYM) + 100% PK. Results revealed that spacing did not significantly influence any of the quality traits across the years. However, fertility levels had a significant effect, with the integrated nutrient treatment recording the highest TSS (18.24 °Brix) and ascorbic acid content (21.92 mg/100 g), while 125% RDF gave the maximum crude protein content (20.90%). The standard check Azad Pea-1consistently showed the lowest values across all parameters. These findings underscore the importance of optimized nutrient management, particularly the integration of organic and inorganic sources in improving the nutritional quality of garden pea.