Non-conventional fertilizer sources for boosting flower production

Abstract

Organic farming indicates a food production system where traditional wisdom and ancient knowledge of Indian agriculture such as crop rotations, mixed cropping, mixed farming, organic manuring, residue recycling, and agroforestry systems combine with modern practices of crop cultivation and livestock management to enhance profitability without dependence on off-farm resources The potential non-conventional fertilizers sources of plant nutrients are green manure crops, crop rotation, crop residues, organic manures, FYM, sludges, oilcake, blood meal, compost, phospho-compost, vermicompost, biogas slurry, agricultural wastes, press mud, Biodynamic preparations, bio-fertilizers, bio-enhancers, etc. (Sharma, 2004). In floriculture, organics are used as substrate media, as a component in plug plant production, in preparation of nursery for flower seeds, as a component for pot mixture for foliage plants, as essential media for greenhouse crops to improve the soil physical properties, as a soil drench of bulb soaking or foliar spray, in the propagation of ornamental crops, in the hardening of cultured tissue plants and as plant protection.