Effect of Different Levels of Nitrogen and Biofertilizers on Growth and Yield of Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.)
Abstract
This study explores the effect of different nitrogen levels and biofertilizer on enhancing growth and yield of cauliflower. To evaluate the results, a field experiment was carried out at Agriculture Research Farm, C B G Ag PG College, BKT during 2024-25. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with two factors in which the first factor contains three levels of nitrogen (0, 60, and 90 kg N ha⁻¹) and the second factor consists of two levels of biofertilizer i.e., Azotobacter (0 and 2 kg ha⁻¹), applied in different combinations with three replications, resulting in six treatment combinations: T₁ - Absolute control (0 kg N ha⁻¹ + no biofertilizer), T₂ - 0 kg N ha⁻¹ + Azotobacter @ 2 kg ha⁻¹, T₃ - 60 kg N ha⁻¹ + no biofertilizer, T₄ - 60 kg N ha⁻¹ + Azotobacter @ 2 kg ha⁻¹, T₅ - 90 kg N ha⁻¹ + no biofertilizer, and T₆ - 90 kg N ha⁻¹ + Azotobacter @ 2 kg ha⁻¹. The interaction effect results revealed that the yield parameters increased with certain levels of nitrogen along with Azotobacter inoculation. Maximum number of curds per plot (27.78), curd diameter (26.63 cm), fresh and dry weight of curd (159.83 g and 62.90 g), yield per plot (270.74 g) and yield per hectare (21.52 Q) were found with T₆ (90 kg N ha⁻¹ + Azotobacter @ 2 kg ha⁻¹), which was followed by T₅ (90 kg N ha⁻¹ + no biofertilizer). However, treatment T₁ (no nitrogen and without Azotobacter) resulted in the lowest yield significantly. It was observed that the optimum dose of nitrogen with biofertilizer can reduce the need for extra nitrogen application, as nitrogen is also received through organic source (Azotobacter @ 2 kg ha⁻¹). Therefore, biofertilizer has been identified as an alternative to chemical fertilizer that increases soil fertility and crop production in sustainable farming.
Keywords
Nitrogen levels
Biofertilizers
Azotobacter
Interaction effect
Cauliflower
Download Options
Introduction
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) is one of the most important winter vegetable crops in the family Brassicaceae, with a chromosome number of 2n=18. It is grown throughout the country for its tender curd (aborted floral meristem), which is used for culinary purposes and processing for vegetable soup and pickling. Being a heavy feeder, cauliflower demands a constant supply of large amounts of nutrients for its luxuriant growth. Its productivity depends upon the use of balanced fertilizer; if not adequately fertilized, yield losses become apparent (Bashyal, 2013). The indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizer increases soil acidity, impairs soil physical conditions, reduces organic matter, and creates micronutrient deficiencies (Kashyap et al., 2017).
Nutritionally, cauliflower contains a good amount of vitamin B and a fair amount of protein in comparison to other vegetables, which may help protect against diseases like heart problems and cholesterol imbalances. Fresh curd of cauliflower contains 2.6 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 1 g minerals, 4 g carbohydrates, fiber, and 56 mg vitamin C per 100 g. Nitrogen is an essential plant nutrient involved in physiological processes and enzyme activities. Farmers are using urea extensively to enhance flowering, curd set, and increase curd size. Nitrogen affects crop productivity through controlling the synthesis of several key products such as nucleic acids, proteins, and phospholipids. The optimum supply of nitrogen enhances plant growth and productivity. Moreover, the excessive and overuse of nitrogen may increase the accumulation of compounds such as nitrates and non-protein compounds in edible parts (Giri et al., 2023).
The application of biofertilizers in vegetable crops has been found very effective. However, biofertilizer i.e., Azotobacter might fix nitrogen fertilizer by 10-20% as it is capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen and also converting insoluble phosphorus into soluble phosphorus for uptake by plants (Kumar et al., 2020). Therefore, an experiment entitled "Effect of different levels of nitrogen and biofertilizers on growth and yield of cauliflower" was conducted to assess the response of different levels of nitrogen, biofertilizers, and their interaction on cauliflower growth and yield.
Conclusion
On the basis of the results obtained in the present investigation, it was concluded that the yield parameters i.e., number of curds per plot (27.78), curd diameter (26.63 cm), fresh weight of curd (159.83 g), dry weight of curd (62.90 g), curd yield per plot (270.74 g), and curd yield per hectare (21.52 Q) obtained under treatment T₆ (application of 90 kg N ha⁻¹ + Azotobacter @ 2 kg ha⁻¹) performed exceptionally well in all yield parameters. This was followed by treatment T₅ (90 kg N ha⁻¹ + no biofertilizer). Thapa et al. (2022) reported that an adequate supply of co-limiting nutrients synergistically improves nitrogen uptake and assimilation efficiency within the plant. An integrated approach using biofertilizers to supplement a balanced nutrient value to the plant potentially reduces nitrogen application, which provides a cost-effective and environment-friendly way to achieve high yield in cauliflower.
References
[1] Bashyal, L. N. (2013). Response of cauliflower to nitrogen fixing biofertilizer and graded levels of nitrogen. Journal of Agriculture and Environment, 12, 41–50. https://doi.org/10.3126/aej.v12i0.756
[2] Giri, B., Kumar, J., Thapa, P., Lal, M., & Chaudhary, R. P. (2023). The effect of different rates of nitrogen fertilizer application on the growth, yield and postharvest life of cauliflower. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 12(7), 307–309.
[3] Jat, M. L., Patel, M. M., & Bana, M. L. (2015). Effect of different spacing and nitrogen levels on growth and yield of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) under north Gujarat condition. Annals of Agriculture Research, 36(1), 72–76.
[4] Kachari, M., & Korla, B. (2009). Effect of biofertilizers on growth and yield of cauliflower cv. PSB K-1. Indian Journal of Horticulture, 66(4), 496–501.
[5] Kale, T. S., Ghawade, S. M., Sonkamble, A. M., Paslawar, A. N., Gahukar, S. J., & Hadole, S. S. (2026). Effect of integrated nitrogen management on growth and yield contributing characters in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research, 8(10S), 281–286.
[6] Kamdi, T. S., Sonkamble, P., & Joshi, S. (2014). Effect of organic manure and biofertilizers on seed quality of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). The Bioscan, 9(3), 1011–1013.
[7] Kashyap, L., Challa, V. R. P., & Tiwari, A. (2017). Effect of integrated nutrient management practices on carbon sequestration, carbon stock, plant growth parameters and economics of cauliflower. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 6(7), 1407–1415.
[8] Kashyap, S., Sandhu, S. K., & Biswa, B. (2025). Effect of growing environment and meteorological parameters on development of anthracnose disease of blackgram. Journal of Food Legumes, 38(2), 307–311.
[9] Khedkar, S. P., Mali, P. C., Khandekar, R. G., Salvi, V. G., Salvi, B. R., & Malshe, K. V. (2023). Influence of bio-fertilizers and organic manures on growth and yield of turmeric. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 12(8), 2825–2830.
[10] Kumar, A., Singh, G., Dhillon, N. S., & Verma, L. K. (2017). Impact of nitrogen on growth and yield of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) under open and protected environment. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 6(7), 1407–1415.
[11] Kumar, R., Verma, S., Singh, V., & Sharma, A. (2020). Effect of integrated use of nitrogen and biofertilizers on growth, yield and economics of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis). Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 9(5), 2041–2044. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.607.168
[12] Sanober Ali, Sapkal, D. R., Pandey, S., Kumar, C., & Sanyal, S. (2023). Effect of bio-fertilizers with chemical fertilizers on growth, yield, and quality of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis). International Journal of Novel Research and Development, 8(5). (ISSN: 2456-4184)
[13] Sharma, M., Gupta, R., & Thakur, A. (2020). Effect of biofertilizer and nitrogen levels on growth and yield of cauliflower. Vegetable Science, 47(1), 68–72.
[14] Shreshtha, S., Devkota, D., & Paudel, B. (2022). Effect of biofertilizer (Azotobacter chroococum) on growth and yield of cauliflower in Palung. Plant Physiology and Soil Chemistry, 2(1), 46–51.
[15] Singh, V. N., & Singh, S. S. (2005). Effect of inorganic and bio-fertilization production of cauliflower. Vegetable Science, 32(2), 146–149.
[16] Thapa, C., Pandey, S., Kumar, V., & Kumar, M. (2022). Effect of integrated nutrient management on growth and yield characteristics of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis cv. Snow Crown). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(4), 31–39.
[17] Yamgar, V. T., Kathmale, D. K., Belhekar, P. S., Patil, R. C., & Patil, P. S. (2001). Effect of different level of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and split application of N on growth and yield of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Indian Journal of Agronomy, 46(2), 372–374.
[18] Zaki, M. F., Tantawy, A. S., Saleh, S. A., & Helmy, Y. I. (2012). [Title missing]. Environment and Ecology, 41(4D), 3049–3053.