Nursery management practices for improving root growth potential in vetiver

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Instructional farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani to study the effect of planting materials (slips and clumps), planting systems (planting strips and troughs), enriched rooting medium (with and without the additional application of cowdung slurry) and moisture regimes (irrigation at 8 mm and 16 mm CPE) on root growth potential and root characters of vetiver. The study was carried out in factorial RBD and replicated thrice. The results revealed that, root growth potential and root characters like number, weight, length, spread and volume can be improved by planting of vetiver slips in strips with enriched rooting medium (coirpith compost: soil: cowdung (2:1:1) + Azospirillum and AM Fungi (5g as basal) and additional application of cowdung slurry at monthly intervals, along with scheduling of irrigation at 16 mm CPE.