Influence of Crop Establishment Methods, Organic Manures and Bio-stimulants on Nutrient Content and Uptake by Ashwagandha Roots under Rainfed Ecologies
Ambikesh Tripathi *
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
Sudhir Kumar Rajpoot
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
Sanju Choudhary
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
Sunil Kumar Verma
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
Rishabh Tripathi
Department of Entomology, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda,210001, India.
Saurabh Raj Pandey
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
Pawan Kumar Verma
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
Prajjwal Agnihotri
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
Brijesh Kumar
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Efficient nutrient management is essential for improving the productivity and quality of medicinal crops in rainfed ecosystems, where moisture and nutrient availability frequently limit crop performance. The present investigation evaluated the influence of crop establishment methods, organic manures and bio-stimulants on the nutrient content and uptake of ashwagandha roots under rainfed ecologies over two consecutive years. The treatments comprised two crop establishment methods, namely broad bed and furrow and ridge and furrow; two organic manure sources, namely poultry manure and vermicompost; and four bio-stimulant treatments consisting of a control, seaweed extract granules, humic and fulvic acid granules and their combined application. The content and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur in the roots were estimated at harvest. Root nutrient concentrations were not significantly affected by crop establishment methods, organic manures or bio-stimulants in either experimental year. However, nutrient uptake varied significantly among treatments. Broad bed and furrow recorded significantly greater uptake of nitrogen (7.56 and 8.13 kg ha-1), phosphorus (0.90 and 1.02 kg ha-1), potassium (7.80 and 8.38 kg ha-1) and sulphur (1.86 and 2.11 kg ha-1) than ridge and furrow. Poultry manure significantly enhanced nutrient uptake compared with vermicompost, whereas the combined application of seaweed extract and humic-fulvic acid granules produced the highest nutrient uptake among bio-stimulant treatments. The results indicated that nutrient uptake in ashwagandha roots was governed primarily by biomass production rather than nutrient concentration and that integrated management involving broad bed and furrow, poultry manure and combined bio-stimulant application may improve nutrient-use efficiency and support the sustainable production of ashwagandha under rainfed conditions.
Keywords: Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), broad bed and furrow, bio-stimulants, humic and fulvic acids, nutrient content, nutrient uptake, organic manures, poultry manure, rainfed agriculture, seaweed extract