The present study evaluated the effects of integrated nutrient management (INM) strategies on soil physico-chemical properties and yield performance of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni under field conditions at Khalsa College, Amritsar, Punjab, India, during the 2022–2023 cropping season. A total of twelve treatment combinations integrating varying proportions of inorganic fertilizers (RDF) with farmyard manure (FYM) and vermicompost (VC) were assessed in a randomized block design with three replications. Results revealed that the combined application of 100% RDF with 2 t ha-1 VC (T3) significantly enhanced fresh and dry leaf yield (18.65 q ha-1 and 5.16 q ha-1, respectively) compared to control and sole fertilizer treatments. Soil health indicators also improved markedly under INM, with T₃ and T₂ (100% RDF + 5 t ha-1 FYM) treatments showing the highest gains in water holding capacity (41.29% and 41.65%, respectively), organic carbon content (0.44% and 0.47%), and available NPK. Integrated treatments notably reduced soil bulk density while improving porosity, pH balance, and macronutrient availability. These results suggest that INM approaches incorporating VC or FYM can sustainably improve soil quality and stevia productivity, offering a viable alternative to sole chemical fertilizer use in medicinal crop cultivation

Stevia, Organic, Inorganic, Soil Health, Integrated Nutrient Management

The present study, titled “Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) Approach on Soil Properties and Yield of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni),” underscores the efficacy of combining organic and inorganic fertilizers in improving soil physico-chemical properties and stevia crop performance. The integration of organic manures with chemical fertilizers not only ameliorated soil health but also significantly boosted the growth, yield, and quality of stevia. Among the various treatments, the application of 100% RDF + 5 t ha-1 FYM notably enhanced soil physico-chemical attributes compared to both the control and sole RDF application. Furthermore, the consolidation of 100% RDF with 2 t ha-1 of VC (T3) markedly improved vegetative growth, yield, and quality parameters of stevia over RDF alone and the control. Based on overall performance metrics, treatment T3 (100% RDF + 2 t ha-1 VC) emerged as the most effective strategy for augmenting soil health, yield, and quality of stevia. These findings suggest that the continued application of VC in conjunction with recommended fertilizer doses could offer sustainable improvements in stevia cultivation under long-term field conditions

Ekamjot Kaur, Saurabh Sharma, Manpreet Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Manisha Negi and Navneet Kaur (2025). Impact of Organic and Inorganic Nutrient Sources on Soil Physico-chemical properties and Productivity of (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). Biological Forum, 17(6): 53-58