Effect of organic manures on soil and quality parameters of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] under middle Gujarat conditions

An experiment was carried out on loamy sand soil to evaluate the effect of organic manures (farmyard manure, vermicompost, poultry manure, neem cake and castor cake) on soil and quality parameters of cowpea during summer season of 2014. Nine treatments were tried out in randomized block design with four replications. Recommended Dose Fertilizer (RDF) i.e. 2040-0 NPK kg ha-1 recorded significantly higher chlorophyll content of leaves at 60 DAS and crude protein content in green seed over rest of the treatments except, vermicompost 2 t ha-1 and poultry manure 2 t ha-1. Soil chemical parameters viz., Organic Carbon (OC), EC, available N, P2O5 and K2O were found to be affected significantly due to different treatments. Higher OC content after harvest of the crop was reported under treatment Poultry manure 2 t ha-1. Whereas, treatment vermicompost @ 2 t ha-1 recorded significantly reduction in EC over control, however, different treatments failed to exert their significant influence on soil pH after harvest of the crop. Significantly higher values of available nutrients (N, P2O5 and K2O) in the soil after harvest of the crop was observed under the treatment VC 2 t ha -1, FYM 2.5 t ha-1 and PM 2 t ha-1, respectively. RDF 20-40-0 kg NPK ha-1 recorded the maximum value of net realization with BCR value followed by treatment PM 2 t ha-1.