Response of nectarines to organic fertilization under the rain-fed ecosystem of Northwest Himalayas

The comparative efficacy of organic sources on cropping behavior, nutrient dynamics, physico-chemical and biological properties of soil and fruit quality under rain-fed agroecosystem on “Silver King” nectarines was investigated. Bio-organic nutrients, namely vermi-compost (VC), biofertilizer (BF), farmyard manure (FYM), compost (comp), vermiwash (VW) and cow urine (CU) were evaluated in 11 different treatment combinations. The treatment application of VC at 25 kg tree^?1, BF at 40 g tree^?1, FYM at 30 kg tree^?1, comp at 15 kg tree^?1, VW_1:10 and CU_1:10 significantly improved plant growth and fruit quality characteristics of nectarine trees. This superior combination also enhanced physico-chemical and biological properties of the rhizosphere soil when compared to control as conventional chemical fertilizer application nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertilizers. Different treatments of bio-organic sources changed pH of the soil to neutral. Available macronutrient contents of soil (viz. N, P, and K) increased by 57.8%, 27.7%, and 16.4%, respectively. Microbial biomass of soil fungi, total bacteria, actinobacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improved 66.0%, 73.8%, 133.3% and 350.0%, respectively, over control. Considerably, a higher amount of leaf macronutrients, N (3.53%), P (0.23%), and K (3.2%), was also recorded over control.