Evaluating the Efficacy of Foliar Nutrition With Cow Urine, Vermiwash and Plant Extracts for Enhanced Yield and Nutrient Uptake in Chilli (Capsicum Annuum L.) Cultivation

A two-year field investigation was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22 in lateritic soil at the Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Dapoli, India, to assess the influence of organic soil amendment and diverse foliar sprays on the yield and nutrient uptake of chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv.Sitara).A randomized block design with three replications and sixteen treatment combinations was employed.Treatments comprised soil application of vermicompost at 100% of the recommended nitrogen (N) dose and foliar application of cow urine, vermiwash, Moringa leaf extract, Glyricidia leaf extract, and Pongamia leaf extract at varying N concentrations (0.02%, 0.04% and 0.06%).Vermicompost at 100% N equivalence and the highest vermiwash concentration (0.06% N) significantly (p < 0.05) increased green pod yield (11.88 and 17.29 t ha -¹) and fruit weight (252.89 and 249.15 g) per plant across both years.Furthermore, treatment T 7 , comprising the application of 100% recommended nitrogen dose (RDN) through vermicompost along with foliar application of cow urine at 0.06% N content, exhibited significantly higher nitrogen (52.80 and 56.96 kg ha -1 ), phosphorus (16.27 and 13.93 kg ha -1 ) and potassium (58.46 and 60.42 kg ha -1 ) uptake during the years 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively.These results indicate the potential of foliar application of these organic inputs as sustainable alternatives for enhancing chilli production and nutrient uptake.