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

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 quality parameters of tree mulberry leaf. 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 quality parameters of V-1 tree mulberry namely leaf moisture was maximum 80.88 percent on 45th day after pruning. Similar trend was observed on biochemical composition of leaf viz., crude protein (22.25%), and total chlorophyll content (2.49 mg/g), were also highest elemental composition of leaf viz., nitrogen (3.56%), phosphorous (0.41%), potassium (1.85%), calcium (1.12%), magnesium (0.38%) and sulphur (0.46%) and micronutrients like zinc (31.03 mg kg-1), manganese (52.32 mg kg-1) and copper (7.79 mg kg-1) content in leaves were recorded significantly higher in the plot raised with 100 percent NPK+ FYM @ 10 t ha-1 + Biochar @ 15 t ha-1y-1 (T7) on 45th day after pruning.