Influence of Soil Test Crop Response Based Integrated Plant Nutrient Management on Quality of Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Monech]

In Soil Test Crop Response (STCR) based Integrated Plant Nutrient System (IPNS) technology, the fertilizer doses are tailored as per the requirements of estimated crop yield taking into account the nutrient requirement of the crop, and the contribution of nutrients from the soil, fertilizers and organic manures. In this study, a field experiment was carried out in the Bahour soil series of Puducherry to study the quality of Okra in response to STCR-based manure and fertilizer application. The experiment was carried out with ten treatments viz., farmer’s practice, FYM alone @ 12.5 t ha-1, blanket recommendation, STCR-NPK alone @ 160, 170, and 180 q ha-1, and STCR-IPNS @ 160, 170, and 180 q ha-1 and control replicated thrice. The fruit samples were collected at 5th, 12th, and 19th pickings and were analyzed for quality parameters. Application of STCR + IPNS – 180 q ha-1 improved the quality parameters such as mucilage (4.54%), protein (1.84%), and starch (4.95%) and ascorbic acid (13.99 mg per100g) content of Okra. The STCR-IPNS technology ensures sustainable crop production and economical use of expensive fertilizer.