Development and factorial evaluation of micronutrient mixtures to enhance soil fertility, nutrient uptake, and cauliflower yield

Micronutrient deficiencies and soil nutrient variability are key constraints in cauliflower production because they reduce micronutrient availability and plant uptake and can cause inconsistent crop response,improper formulation and application may further create micronutrient imbalances. Additionally, environmental factors like pH and organic matter content influence nutrient retention and crop response. Previous studies have mainly focused on single or dual micronutrient applications (e.g., Zn and Fe) rather than holistic micronutrient mixtures, creating a gap in optimized, crop-specific multi-micronutrient formulations for improving soil fertility and crop productivity in deficient soils. To address this gap, this study develops and evaluates a holistic, crop-specific micronutrient mixture to enhance soil fertility, nutrient uptake, and cauliflower yield. This study applies Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD), soil and plant nutrient analysis, PCA, and statistical modelling. The study found that applying 30 kg ha⁻¹ of the R3 micronutrient mixture significantly enhanced cauliflower yield, nutrient uptake, and soil fertility, with strong positive correlations (p < 0.05) among key parameters. The results indicate that 30 kg ha⁻¹ of the R3 micronutrient mixture significantly improved cauliflower yield by 18.5%, soil organic carbon by 12.3%, and micronutrient availability (Fe by 15.2%, Zn by 11.8%, and B by 9.7%) compared to the control. The Principal Component Analysis revealed that micronutrient application at 30 kg ha⁻¹ (L4) with Ratio 3 (R3) had the strongest positive influence on soil fertility, plant growth parameters, and cauliflower yield, explaining the highest variance among treatments. Overall, R3L4 was identified as the most effective treatment for enhancing cauliflower productivity under micronutrient-deficient soil conditions.