GROWTH AND YIELD OF SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS L.) UNDER DIFFERENT ORGANIC (FARM YARD MANURE) AND INORGANIC PHOSPHORUS DOSES

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the impact of different rates of farmyard manure application on the growth and yield of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Our objective is to assess how various levels of organic fertilizer influence the development and productivity of this crop. The experiment involved five integrated applications of farmyard manure (T1 = 00 tons of farmyard manure + P (0), T2 = 1 ton of farmyard manure, P (30 P kg ha-1), T3 = 3 tons of farmyard manure + (60 P kg ha-1), T4 = 4 tons of farmyard manure + 90 P kg ha-1, and T5 = 5 tons of farmyard manure + (120 P kg ha-1). The results revealed that T5 = 5 tons of farmyard manure and (120 P kg ha-1).  resulted best and produced the maximum plant population (m2) (10.5), plant height (273.7 cm), stem girth (10.9 cm), head diameter (53.8 cm), number of seeds head-1 (2696.9), seed weight head-1 (60.7 g), seed index (32.7 g), and seed yield (2698.7 kg ha-1). Whereas the T1=00-ton Farm Yard Manure treatment produced the least results and recorded plant population (m-2) (6.6), plant height (217.7 cm), stem girth (9.3), head diameter (30.3 cm), number of seeds head-1 (1510.7), seed weight head-1 (26.6 g), seed index (23.0 g), and seed yield (2100.0 kg ha-1). It is therefore recommended that, for obtaining higher growth and seed yields of sunflower, farmyard manure should be applied at 5 tons per hectare, and (120 P kg ha-1) respectively. The results concluded that the growth and yield of sunflowers were significantly affected by the application of farmyard manure as compared to the control (no farmyard manure). The grain yield increased linearly with increasing farmyard manure levels. However, the plot fertilized with 5 tons of farmyard manure produced the maximum grain yield of sunflower.