Response of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) to different fertigation treatments in respect of its yield and quality

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the winter season of 2019-20 to investigate the response of broccoli to different fertigation treatments. The experiment consisted of four irrigation levels (I1: 1.20 ETc, I2: 1.00 ETc, I3: 0.8 ETc, and I4: 0.6 ETc) and four fertilizer levels (F1: 100% recommended dose of NPK (RD), F2: 75% RD of NPK, F3: 50% RD of NPK, and F4: no fertilizer). The results showed that the treatment combination of I1F1 produced the highest head diameter (14.84 cm), head yield (225.41 g/plant), total yield (18.69 t/ha), harvest index (52.11%), protein content of head (30.03 mg/g), and starch content (55.73 µg/g). Conversely, the treatment combination of I4F4 resulted in the lowest values for these parameters, with head diameter (9.34 cm), head yield (71.41 g/plant), total yield (6.29 t/ha), harvest index (34.35%), protein content of head (19.49 mg/g), and starch content (31.19 µg/g). These findings suggest that optimized fertigation management can significantly improve broccoli yield and quality.