Asian Jr. of Microbiol. Biotech. Env. Sc. Vol. 24, No. (3) : 2022 : 556-559 © Global Science Publications ISSN-0972-3005 DOI No.: http://doi.org/10.53550/AJMBES.2022.v24i03.0021 ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL DUE TO APPLICATION OF NPK WITH NEEM CAKE ON OKRA (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS L.) VAR. ARKA ANAMIKA SIBANI KUMARI 1 , AMREEN HASAN 2 *, TARENCE THOMAS 3 , ARUN ALFRED DAVID 4 AND RAGHUNANDAN KHATANA 5 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, (Naini Agricultural Institute), Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences Prayagraj 211 007, U.P., India (Received 17 March, 2022; Accepted 27 May, 2022) Key words: Soil physicochemical properties, NPK, Neem cake, Okra, and yield attributes Abstract– The field experiment took place at the Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences’ Soil Science Research Farm in Prayagraj during the Kharif season of 2021. Three different pairing were used in the investigation: three levels of NPK at 0%, 50%, and 100% ha -1 , and three levels of neem cake at 0%, 50%, and 100% ha -1 . The result obtained with treatment T 9 [100% NPK +100% neem cake] Maximum Bulk density 1.272 Mg m -3 in 0-15cm and 1.333 Mg m -3 in 15-30cm, Particle density 2.550 Mg m -3 in 0-15cm and 2.580 Mg m -3 in 15-30cm, % Pore space 50.11% in 0-15cm and 48.33% in 15-30cm, Water holding capacity (%) 58.32% in 0-15cm and 58.00% in 15-30cm, pH 7.53 in 0-15cm and 7.54 in 15-30cm, EC (dSm -1 ) 0.341 in 0-15cm and 0.337 in 15-30cm, % Organic Carbon 0.425% in 0-15cm and 0.412% in 15-30cm, Available Nitrogen 279.38 kg ha -1 in 0-15cm and 273.28 kg ha -1 in 15-30cm, Available Phosphorus 16.86 kg ha -1 in 0-15cm and 16.15 kg ha -1 in 15-30cm and Available Potassium 179.87 kg ha -1 in 0-15cm and 175.0 kg ha -1 in 15-30cm. The use of Neem cake, as well as its blend with complete NPK, significantly improves the growth and overall production of Okra. INTRODUCTION Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) belongs to the Malvaceae family and has chromosome 2n=130. It is also known as lady’s finger or bhindi, is one of the most important vegetable crops grown extensively throughout the country during summer and rainy seasons due to its high adaptability over a wide range of environmental conditions. Okra is one of the most affordable vegetables in India’s tropical and subtropical regions. Okra is a popular tropical and subtropical vegetable grown all over the world. Okra is a semi-pollinated in nature and plays a vital role in meeting the need for vegetables in a place where they are scarce. Calcium, protein, oil, and carbs are among the nutritional components of okra, as are iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. The majority of okra is consumed in a cooked or processed form. Young fruits can be eaten uncooked, and the oil content is comparable to that of poultry eggs and soyabeans (Adesida and colleagues, 2019). The benefit of employing inorganic fertilizer is that the nutrients are immediately available to the plants and the extract amount of a given nutrient can be determined prior to feeding the plants. Besides, the financial expenditure, continual cultivation of chemical fertilizer in the tropics is insufficient to maintain crop productivity. (Nnah et al., 2016). Neem cake is a natural manure that has no harmful effects on the soil, plants, or living organisms. It can be useddirectly by mixing with the soil or it can be blended with urea and otherorganic manure. By soaking neem cakes and leaves in oil, plant roots can be protected from nematodes and white ants. Neem cake is a botanical product that is