Being introduced for prevention of soil erosion, Cashew (Anacadium occidentale L.) gained status of one of the commercial dollar earning crop in India. Cashew occupied an area of 10.62 lakh hectares with total annual yield of 8.17 lakh metric tons for year 2017-18 with a poor productivity of 753kg/ha (DCCD, Kochi, Kerala). Being one of the major producing countries, India is lagging behind in its total production and productivity compare to other cashew growing countries. In India, cashew is commercially cultivated mostly in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and interior tracts of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andaman and Nicobar island and North Eastern region. Among all above states Odisha considered as one of the major cashew growing area but as per report of national agency Directorate of Cashewnut & Cocoa Development (DCCD), Kerala; Odisha recorded for 98.58 thousand metric tons of production from area of 193.98 thousand hectares during 2017-18. If we will consider the productivity of Odisha is quite low compare to national productivity i.e. 513 kg/ha. Use of seedling planting materials, old and neglected plantation, no proper care and management, no plant protection measures are mostly accounted for low productivity as well as quality too.  To get high yield and good quality produce use of high yielding varieties, superior planting materials, adequate nutrient and soil management, spraying of chemicals, proper plant protection measures can be adopted. [1] stated that like other crops nutrient management has potential to increase yield. [2] suggested that application of chemicals like growth regulators, micronutrients and seaweed extract can also increase fruit yield and quality in cashew. Adoption of quality planting materials and scientific cultivation technology including nutrient management in cashew can improves production and livelihood of Odisha farmers [3]. For obtaining a sustainable production with quality produce in cashew organic matters can adopted over inorganic fertilizers [4]. It includes FYM, cow dung manures, compost, Vermicompost, oil cakes, bone meals, etc. Along with organic manures bio-fertilizers are also used. These are having very significant role in fruit production and quality. [5] stated that highest fruit yield and TSS is observed when vermicompost is applied along with inorganic fertilizers in Sapota cv. Kalipati. [6] reported that application of organic manures and bio-fertilizers significantly enhanced yield and quality in Red Fleshed guava. Fruit yield and quality parameters like TSS, ascorbic acid are greatly influenced by use of organic manures in litchi cv. Rose Scented [7] Though, organic manures and bio-fertilizers are having greater impact on yield and quality of cashew but very less work been done so far. So, this research was carried out with an objective of Influence of organic manures and bio-fertilizers on qualitative and qualitative traits of cashew in Odisha.

Materials and Methods

An experiment was conducted at AICRP on Cashew, Ranasinghpur, Bhubaneswar under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Odisha during 2018-19 with an objective of effect of organic source of nutrients on yield and quality of cashew var. BPP-8. Plants were planted in the experimental block during 2007 with spacing 7m x 7m apart. Experiment was carried out in RBD (Randomized Block Design) with 9 treatments and 3 replications. Treatments taken were T1 : 100% N as FYM, T2 : 100% N as FYM + Bio-fertilizer consortia (200g/plant), T3 : 50% N as FYM + Bio-fertilizer consortia (200g/plant)., T4 : 100% N as Vermicompost + Bio-fertilizer consortia (200g/plant), T5 : Recycling of organic residue with the addition of 20% cow dung slurry, T6 : In situ green manuring / green leaf manuring to meet 100% N, T7 : 25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring / green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia (200g/plant), T8 : Recommended doses of fertilizer + 10 kg FYM and T9 : Farmers’ practice (Control). Soil nutrient status of individual treatment plot was recorded before conducting experiment and after harvesting of crops. Similar packs of practices were followed in all the treatments and observations were recorded at appropriate stage. Observations were taken on yield attributing characters like apple weight, nut weight, kernel weight and shelling percentage and bio-chemical parameters like TSS, total sugar, reducing sugar and ascorbic acid content of cashew apple. As described by [7] data was analysed statistically.

Findings and Discussion

The data collected from this experiment and discussion of the results are presented below

Effect on yield and yield attributing characters

These characters consist of apple weight, nut weight, kernel weight and shelling percentage of cashew nuts are discussed below.

Highest apple weight was recorded in treatment T7 (25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 61.93 g and lowest apple weight was recorded in treatment T9 (Control) i.e. 53.35 g. The present findings are in line with the findings of [9] in guava and [8] in mango. This may be due to the bio-fertilizer having capacity to solubilize the potassium and other micronutrients which enhanced supply of macro and micro nutrients and another thing is that green manure crop supplies organic matter as well as additional nitrogen leads to more availability of nutrients for photosynthesis and dry matter production ultimately increasing fruit weight [10]. Another reason might be due to optimum supply

Table: 1 Effect of organic source of nutrients on apple weight, nut weight, kernel weight and shelling percentage

of plant nutrient and growth hormones released by bio-fertilizer in right amount during entire period and more amount of nitrogen fixation in soil leads to the proper vegetative growth caused more plant height and ultimately more photosynthesis that resulted more weight of fruit [11].

Data associated to nut weight influenced by different organic source of nutrients in cashew cv. BPP-8 were presented in the Table 4.3 and Fig. 4.3. Highest nut weight was recorded in treatment T8 (Recommended doses of fertilizer + 10 kg FYM) i.e. 8.40 g and among the application of organic treatments, T7 (25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) was found highest (8.13 g) followed by T2 (100% N as FYM + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 8.02 g and overall treatment T7 (8.13 g) was statistically at par. Lowest nut weight was obtained in treatment T9 (Control) i.e. 7.48 g.

Data related to kernel weight influenced by different organic source of nutrients were presented in the Table- 4.3 and Fig. 4.3 and was found significant among the treatments. Highest kernel weight was recorded in treatment T8 (Recommended doses of fertilizer + 10 kg FYM) i.e. 2.16 g which was superior from other treatments followed by T2 (100% N as FYM + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 2.06 g and T7 (25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 2.05 g.

Application of different organic source of nutrients on shelling percentage of cashew cv. BPP-8 were presented in the Table- 4.3 and was found significant among the treatments. Among organic treatments, highest shelling percentage was recorded in treatment T7 (25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 29.76 % followed by T1 (100% N as FYM) i.e. 29.74 %. But overall T8 (Recommended doses of fertilizer + 10 kg FYM) i.e. 29.86 % was superior from other treatments and was statistically at par with treatment T7 (29.76 %), T1 (29.74 %), T4 (29.56 %) and T2 (29.08%). Treatment T9 (Control) showed lowest shelling percentage (28.03).

Nut weight, kernel weight and shelling percentage were recorded highest in treatment T8 (Recommended doses of fertilizer + 10 kg FYM) which was superior from other organic source of treatments. These findings are in line with [12-13] in cashew. This may be due to very good response of cashew to chemical fertilizers. When the fertilizer applied through inorganic source in the soil that lead to immediate and readily available of nutrients which further help in increasing photosynthates and increase dry matter contents. The different treatments with organic inputs were showing poor result than recommended dose of fertilizer, this may be due to lower in moisture content abrupt the growth of the microbial population in the soil and their activity also reduced to a greater extent leads to less availability of nutrients as reported by [14]. Another reason is that nitrogen increased the efficiency of metabolic process of plant and thus encouraged the growth of the plant and consequently increased the size and weight of nut. Yield is a function of the effect of both vegetative and floral attributes.

Effect on biochemical parameters

Biochemical parameters like TSS, total sugar, reducing sugar and ascorbic acid are taken into consideration to find out the effect on quality of cashew apple and data presented in the table-2.

From the table- 2 it was observed that highest TSS of apple juice was recorded in treatment T8 (Recommended doses of fertilizer + 10 kg FYM) i.e. 12.97^oBrix which was superior from other treatments. Among organic treatments, T7 (25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) showed high TSS (12.83 o Brix ) and closely associated with T2 (100% N as FYM + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 12.33 o Brix. Minimum TSS of apple juice was observed in treatment T9 (Control) i.e. 11.57 o Brix. The increase in TSS may be attributed to absorption of nitrogen exerted regulatory role as an important constituent of regulatory factors in affecting the quality of fruit in which carbohydrate is important and during ripening of fruits, the carbohydrate reserves of the roots and stem are drawn upon heavily by fruits which might have resulted into higher TSS [15].

Table:2 Effect of organic source of nutrients on TSS, total sugar, reducing sugar and ascorbic acid of cashew apple

Total sugar percentages of cashew apple influenced by different organic source of nutrients were presented in the Table 2 Highest total sugar was recorded in treatment T7 (25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 10.88 % followed by T2 (100% N as FYM + Bio-fertilizer consortia (200g/plant) i.e. 10.68 % and T8 (Recommended doses of fertilizer + 10 kg FYM) i.e. 10.40 and was statistically at par with treatment T2 (10.68 %), T8 (10.40 %), T4 (10.32 %), and T3 (10.17 %). Treatment T9 (Control) showed lowest total sugar i.e. 9.08 % in cashew apple. Reducing sugar percentage of cashew apple influenced by different organic source of nutrients in cashew cv. BPP-8 was presented in the Table 2. It was found significant among the treatments. Highest reducing sugar was recorded in treatment T7 (25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 10.16 % followed by T2 (100% N as FYM + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 10.02 % and T8 (Recommended doses of fertilizer + 10 kg FYM) i.e. 9.74 was found superior from other and statistically at par with treatment T2 (10.02 %), T8 (9.74 %) and T4 (9.72 %). Lowest reducing sugar was recorded in treatment T9 (Control) i.e. 8.42 % in cashew apple. Data pertaining that highest ascorbic acid content was recorded in treatment T7 (25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 5.22 mg/100g followed by T2 (100% N as FYM + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) i.e. 5.15 mg/100g and T4 (100% N as Vermicompost + Bio-fertilizer consortia (200g/plant) i.e. 4.28 mg/100g and was statistically at par with treatment T2 (5.15 mg/100g). Lowest ascorbic acid content was recorded in treatment T9 (Control) i.e. 2.80 mg/100g of cashew apple.

From the given that results can be drawn that highest total sugar, reducing sugar and ascorbic acid content in cashew apple found in T7 (25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant) which was superior from other treatments followed by T2 (100% N as FYM + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant). This result similar with the findings of [16-17] in mango, [18-19] in guava. This may be due the effect of potassium on fruit quality which can be explained from the fact that potassium improved photosynthetic activity and also help in better translocation of metabolites from leaves to fruits and Bio-fertilizer is the major for potassium solubilization reported by [20]. Another thing is that the quality improvement in fruit is due to proper supply of nutrients and induction of growth hormones, which stimulated cell division, cell elongation, increase in number and weight of the fruits, better root development and better translocation of water and deposition of nutrients. This may also be due to the improved fertilizer use efficiency with the application of organic source of nutrients and Bio-fertilizer [21-22].

Conclusion

             From the present study it can be concluded that nutrient management of cashew in the form of organic source 25% N as FYM + recycling of organic residue + in situ green manuring/green leaf manuring + Bio-fertilizer consortia 200g/plant may give better results compare to others in terms of apple weight, nut weight, kernel weight, shelling percentage and quality aspects.

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