Nutrient management in vegetable crops has increased importance as consumption of straight fertilizers is increased at tremendous rate. There is no denying the significance and accessibility of straight fertilizers, but crop availability owing to leaching and other losses makes them less effective and result in lower yield. Adequate and balanced fertilizer management in association with manures is very much essential to exploit the full yield potential of Brinjal Crop. Keeping this view, the field experiment was conducted at Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Tal. Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri during the year 2021-2022 and 2022-23 with a view to study the effect of humic acid fortified briquettes on yield, quality parameters and nitrogen use efficiency of brinjal (Solanum melongena L.). The experiment was conducted in Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications and fifteen treatment combinations. The results revealed that significantly highest fruit yield (29.83t ha-1 and 30.32t ha-1), highest anthocyanin content (18.68 mg 100 g-1 and 19.18 mg 100 g-1), lowest tannin content (118.76 mg 100 g-1 and 119.9 mg 100 g-1) and high nitrogen efficiency recorded as 56.15 percent and 59.25 percent was recorded in the year 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively.

Briquettes, UB-10:26:26, Humic Acid, Yield, Anthocyanin,Tannin, Nitrogen Use Efficiency

In summary the results of this investigation revealed the influence of humic acid fortified briquettes on yield, quality parameters and nitrogen use efficiency of brinjal. Based on the findings of investigation it may be concluded that UB-10:26:26 fortified with potassium humic acid gave highest yield, high content of anthocyanin, lower content of tannin and high nitrogen use efficiency. The nitrogen use efficiency was found to be increased by 54-60 per cent by using fertilizer briquettes over straight fertilizers.

S.H. Gawde, M.C. Kasture, S.B. Dodake, V.G. Salvi and V.G. More (2023). Effect of Humic Acid fortified Briquettes on Yield, Quality and Nitrogen use Efficiency in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) in Lateritic Soils of Konkan. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(12): 420-424.