Asian Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

The current study was conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Saharsa, under the supervision of Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, and ICAR-ATARI (Zone-IV) in fifteen farmers' fields in Bihar's Saharsa district between 2020-21 and 2021-22. Each farmer's field was handled as a single replication. The experimental treatments were distributed in a Randomized Block Design with 15 replications (=15 farmers) and three treatments containing recommended agronomic techniques. According to two years' worth of pooled data, treatment T3 (75% RDF + 20 kg Vermicompost + 250 ml Azotobacter + 250 ml PSB) produced the highest fruit length (9.35 cm), fruit width (6.52 cm), fruit volume (213.21 cm3), and fruit weight (225.35 g), as well as yield parameters, such as the highest number of fruits per plant (365.33), fruit yield per plant (91.33 kg), and TSS (18.10°Brix). in this respect, T2 (75% RDF + 20 kg Vermicompost + 250 ml Azotobacter) came to the next. Considering the effect of agronomic practices on some chemical properties of soil under trees, T3 (75% RDF + 20 kg Vermicompost + 250 ml Azotobacter + 250 ml PSB per tree) had the highest recorded values of pH (7.4), EC (0.51 dSm-1), Organic Carbon (0.52%), available N (305.21 kg/ha), available P (32.56 kg/ha), and available K (201.33 kg/ha). Also, the maximum soil microbial count of 6.5 × 10⁹ and 7.8 × 10⁹, was recorded. From an economical view point, treatment T3 resulted in the maximum benefit cost ratio (3.01) and the highest net realization (₹.497800) based on fruit yield per hectare.