Influence of graded levels of nitrogen and phosphorus on growth and yield of bitter gourd (momordica charantia l.) ecotype ‘mithipagal’under rice fallow of cauvery delta region

A study on influence of graded levels of nitrogen and phosphorus on growth and yield of bitter gourd ecotype ‘mithipagal’ under rice fallow of cauvery delta region was carried out in the faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai university, Tamilnadu The experiment comprised of twelve treatment combinations having the four levels of nitrogen (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg ha-1) and three levels of phosphorus (0, 15 and 30 kg ha-1) under factorial randomized block design with four replications. Potassium @ 30 kg ha-1 was applied in all treatments as constant dose except the control. Among the graded levels, N3P2 (nitrogen 90 kg ha-1 + phosphorus 30 kg ha-1) registered the maximum values in growth parameters viz., vine length, number of branches plant-1, number of leaves plant-1. However, it was closely followed by N2P2. Regarding the yield attributes, the treatment combination N3P2 showed the maximum values in fruit weight, fruit yield plant-1 (1.21 kg) and fruit yield ha-1 (16.03 t). However, it was on par with N2P2 which registered the fruit yield plant-1 (1.19 kg) and fruit yield ha-1 (15.71 t). The maximum net returns and returns per Rupee invested were recorded with the application of N2P2 which was followed by N3P2.