ENHANCING SWEET GOURD GROWTH AND YIELD THROUGH THE COMBINED APPLICATION OF BIOCHAR AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS

Abstract

An experimental study was conducted from January to August 2022 in Hobigong, Sylhet Division, Bangladesh, to assess the effects of different organic and inorganic fertilizer combinations on sweet gourd growth and yield. The experiment followed a Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and four treatments: T1 (4 kg compost per plant, farmers' practice), T2 (4 kg compost + 1.5 L human urine + 1.5 L biochar), T3 (4 kg compost + 1.5 L cattle urine + 1.5 L biochar), and T4 (inorganic NPK: 44 g urea, 44 g TSP [Triple Super Phosphate], 77 g MoP [Muriate of Potash]). Results showed that combined applications of organic inputs significantly improved crop performance. The T3 treatment produced the highest germination rate (90%), plant height (42.4 cm), number of fruits per plant (2.1), and fruit weight (2785.3 g). In contrast, the control (T1) recorded lower values: 60% germination, 26 cm plant height, 1.1 fruits per plant, and 1922.8 g fruit weight. Overall, the combination of compost, cattle urine, and biochar (T3) proved most effective for optimizing sweet gourd growth and yield.