Can organic Fertilizer be Equivalent to Inorganic Fertilizer for Quality Production of Annual Chrysanthemum and Soil Enrichment?

The investigation was carried out at the experimental farm of Dr YSPUHF Nauni, Solan (HP), India during 2020-22. It aimed to identify the optimal treatments for enhancing the growth, flowering and quality seed production of Glebionis coronaria and enriching the soil health. The experiment encompassed 9 treatments namely T 1 (jeevamrit @ 5%), T 2 (jeevamrit @ 10%), T 3 (jeevamrit @15%), T 4 (jeevamrit @ 20%), T 5 (jeevamrit @ 25%), T 6 (jeevamrit @ 30%) and T 7 (jeevamrit @ 35%) at 15 days intervals, T 8 (RDF) and T 9 (control) were laid out in RBD with three replications. It was observed that better outcomes in terms of vegetative, flowering and seed yield parameters were recorded in T 8 (RDF) but were found to be statistically at par with the results obtained in T 7 (jeevamrit @ 35%) followed by T 6 (jeevamrit @ 30%). Also, the utilization of organic farming products (T 6 and T 7 ) has played a vital role in flourishing the soil with a vast group of advantageous soil microbiota (bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes) and soil macro- nutrients than inorganic fertilizers (T 8 RDF). Despite the effectiveness of RDF in enhancing growth and yield, its long-term environmental impact and declining soil health raise concerns, necessitating sustainable alternatives like organic amendments. Therefore, with changing climatic conditions and improving agricultural sustainability and soil health this paper provides a step towards the integration of chemical inorganic and organic fertilizers. Thus, not only improving the vegetative and flowering capacity of the plant but improving the soil microbiome and long-term productivity thereby leading to sustainable ecofriendly agriculture.