Impact of nano fertilizers on yield and economics of cauliflower

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) is a nutrient-rich crop with high nitrogen demand, often leading to excessive synthetic fertilizer use, environmental degradation, and increased production costs. This study evaluated the impact of nano fertilizers—Nano DAP and Nano Urea Plus—on curd yield and economic returns under varied fertilizer regimes. A factorial design was adopted with two factors: four levels of recommended doses of fertilizer (RDF) and six nano fertilizer treatments, resulting in 24 treatment combinations. Significant differences in curd yield were observed among treatments. The highest yield, net returns and B: C ratio was recorded in C₂T₂ (75% RDF coupled with nano DAP seedling dip + foliar spray of nano DAP at 15 DAT), which was statistically comparable to other nano treatments under 75% or 100% RDF and seedling dip with nano DAP followed by one or two foliar spray of either nano DAP or nano urea plus(C₂T₃, C₁T₃, C₂T₅, C₂T₄, and C₁T₂).