NUTRIENT SOURCE COMBINATIONS ON YIELD AND NUTRIENT CONTENTS OF FOETID CASSIA (CASSIA TORA) UNDER OPEN AND SHADED CONDITIONS

The performance of Cassia tora or foetid cassia in open and shaded conditions when supplied with various organic and inorganic nutrient sources was studied. Though there was no significant difference in yields under open conditions, under shaded conditions, significantly higher yields were obtained with the application of vermicompost. High contents of nitrogen and calcium were recorded in the leaves of Cassia tora. In open conditions, N content was higher when FYM was applied alone, while P and K contents were observed to be significantly higher when organic and inorganic sources were combined. Significantly higher Ca, Mg, S and Mn contents were also observed in shaded conditions. High Ca and micronutrient contents of the plant pointed out to its potential to overcome various nutrient deficiencies in the human diet.