Integrated effect of mixed oil cake and FYM on raising of mulberry saplings and establishment of chawki garden for sustainable sericulture

A pilot study was conducted at Regional Sericultural Research Station, Kalimpong, West Bengal, India own research farm during the year 2012-17 with five treatments e.g. T1: Control: FYM @ 10 mt ha-1; T2: FYM @10 mt ha-1 + mixed oil cake @0.5 mt ha-1; T3: FYM @10 mt ha-1 + mixed oil cake @0.75 mt ha-1; T4: FYM @10 mt ha-1 + mixed oil cake @1.0 mt ha-1 and T5: FYM @10 mt ha-1 + mixed oil cake @1.5 mt ha-1 to study their integrated effect for raising of mulberry saplings and establishment of chawki garden. The mixed cake was applied through ‘Spic Surabhi'. The main ingredient in Spic Surabhi was oil seed cake of Neem, groundnut, castor and sesame with turmeric powder and pungamia extracts. Based on the data analyzed, it has been observed that, the integrated effect of mixed oil cake and FYM was significant on survivability (%), root zone, growth attribute characters and leaf yield. The average height of 180 days old saplings was 159.95 cm with treatment combination T5 followed by 156.35 cm with T4 and 103.68 cm with T1 (control). Maximum leaf yield was 6.5 mt ha-1 in T5 in spring season, 2016 followed by 6.4 mt ha-1 in T4 and 4.4 mt ha-1 in T1 (control). The total leaf yield gain was 47.7% in T5 over control. In autumn season, maximum leaf yield was 5.1 mt ha-1 T5 followed by 4.9 mt ha-1 in T4 and 4.0 mt ha-1 in T1 (control). Total leaf yield was 27.5 per cent higher in autumn season with T5 than control. In spring season, 2017, maximum leaf yield was 8.1 mt ha-1 with T5 followed by 8.0 mt ha-1 with T4 and 5.8 mt ha-1 in T1 (control). Total leaf yield gain in autumn, 2017 was 39.6 per cent higher in T5 than control. To control the both primary and secondary infection of root rot, mixed oil cake containing Neem ingredients performed better, because, Neem, (Azadirachta indica), a native of arid zone of Indian sub-continent are well known for its nutritional and medicinal values worldwide.