Vol. 8, Issue 8, Part L (2024)

Abstract: The present investigation entitled “Effect of foliar spray of micronutrients on growth, yield and quality parameters of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) under protected structure” was conducted during the Kharif season 2023 at the Center of Excellence on Protected Cultivation and Precision Farming, IGKV, Raipur, (C.G.). The experiment was laid in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications consisting twelve treatments. The treatments included viz. T₀: Control, T₁: FeSO₄ (0.5%), T₂: ZnSO₄ (0.5%), T₃: Borax (0.2%), T₄: Ammonium Molybdate (0.03%), T₅: FeSO₄ (0.5%) + ZnSO₄ (0.5%), T₆: FeSO₄ (0.5%) + Borax (0.2%), T₇: FeSO₄ (0.5%) + Ammonium Molybdate (0.03%), T₈: ZnSO₄ (0.5%) + Borax (0.2%), T₉: ZnSO₄ (0.5%) + Ammonium Molybdate (0.03%), T₁₀: Borax (0.2%) + Ammonium Molybdate (0.03%) and T₁₁: FeSO₄ (0.5%) + ZnSO₄ (0.5%) + Borax (0.2%) + Ammonium Molybdate (0.03%). Foliar spray of micronutrients was done at 30 and 45 DAT of cauliflower. The results revealed that treatment T₁₁ recorded significantly maximum plant height (53.93 cm), leaf length (35.15 cm), leaf width (20.89 cm), stem diameter (2.42 cm), curd diameter (13.22 cm), curd depth (9.26 cm), curd size index (122.66 cm²), total biomass production per plant (599.73 g), marketable curd weight (315.51 g), net curd weight (208.55g), yield per plot (6.94 kg plot^-1) and yield per hectare (231.37 qha^-1). Treatment T₁₁ also recorded maximum value in quality parameters such as total soluble solid (5.73%), ascorbic acid (55.67 mg/100 g), protein content (2.93%), dry weight of curd /100 g of fresh weight (9.15 g). The creamy white colour of curd recorded in all the treatments. Non-significant effect was found for number of leaves per plant, number of days required for curd initiation, number of days required for curd maturity and curd compactness. Whereas the minimum value for above parameters were recorded under T₁ (control).