Co-benefits of cow urine and biochar-based fertilizer on flowering, fruiting and fruit quality of dragon fruit

Abstract

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus sp.) is esteemed for its popularity and nutritional value within the Cactaceae family. This study was conducted at the Germplasm Center, Department of Horticulture, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, from January 2021 to October 2021 to assess the performance of cow urine and biochar-based fertilizer on flowering, fruiting, and fruit quality of dragon fruit. This investigation was carried out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. Four treatments viz. M0= Control (no NPK, biochar and cow urine), M1= NPK (Urea= 100 g, TSP= 84 g and MOP= 84 g) + biochar (5 kg), M2 = Cow urine (3 L) + biochar (5 kg) and M3= NPK (Urea= 100 g, TSP= 84 g and MOP= 84 g) + cow urine (3 L) + biochar (5 kg) with four replications were applied to the 4 years aged “BARI Dragon Fal-1” plants. The highest number of flower buds (12.75), number of flowers (12.75), number of mature fruits (12.75), individual fruit weight (277.00 g), fruit length (10.78 cm), fruit diameter (6.60 cm) and pulp weight (208.50 g) were found at 60 days after first flower bud emergence in the treatment combination of M3. However, biochar-based fertilizer combinations did not significantly affect the qualitative parameters of dragon fruit. These findings underscore the synergistic effect of NPK, cow urine, and biochar in enhancing the flowering and fruiting of dragon fruit. This finding also suggests the potential applications of cow urine and biochar with rational use of urea for optimizing cultivation practices of dragon fruit in the studied area.