Effect of levels of mulberry shoots biochar, farm yard manure and NPK fertilizer on growth and yield parameters of tree mulberry

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2022, at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Hassan, to know the effect of biochar and Farm Yard Manure (FYM) on growth and yield of tree mulberry. The experiment was planned in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 10 treatments T1: Absolute Control (Without biochar and FYM), T2: 100 percent NPK, T3: FYM @ 20 t ha-1y-1, T4: 100 percent NPK + FYM @ 20 t ha-1 (Package of practice), T5: 100 percent NPK + FYM@ 10 t ha-1 + Biochar @ 5 t ha-1y-1, T6: 100 percent NPK + FYM @ 10 t ha-1 + Biochar @ 10 t ha-1y-1, T7: 100 percent NPK + FYM @ 10 t ha-1 + Biochar @ 15 t ha-1y-1 and T8: 75 percent NPK + FYM@ 10 t ha-1 + Biochar @ 5 t ha-1y-1, T9: 75 percent NPK + FYM@ 10 t ha-1 + Biochar @ 10 t ha-1y-1, T10: 75 percent NPK + FYM @ 10 t ha-1 + Biochar @ 15 t ha-1y-1 replicated trice. The result revealed that combined application of 100 percent recommended NPK + FYM @ 10 t ha-1 + Biochar @ 15 t ha-1y-1 to soil significantly increased the highest average shoot length (55.33, 118.53 and 170.48 cm), higher number of shoots per tree (44.08, 48.52 and50.93), number of leaves per tree (275.43, 663.34 and 1189.17), maximum leaf yield per plant (6312.5 g/plant) were recorded in mulberry raised with 100 percent NPK + FYM @ 10 t ha-1 + Biochar @ 15 t ha-1y-1 (T7) on 30th, 45th and 60th days after pruning respectively, over treatment T4 (100% NPK + FYM 20 t ha-1) Package of practise.