Reducing fertilizer requirement with the use of bio- fertilizers in summer pearl

millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.)]Y.C. LAKUM, S.H. PATEL AND P.V. MEHTA

ABSTRACTAn experiment was conducted in summer season during 2008 at Anand Agricultural University, Anand. The soil was loamy sand in

texture, low in organic carbon and available N, while medium in available P and high in available K. The treatment T7 (Azospirillum

+ 75% RDF +10 t ha-1) recorded significantly higher plant height (171.41 cm). Similarly the total (6.48 plant-1) and effective tillers (4.43

plant-1) as well as length of earhead (22.25 cm) recorded significantly higher under the same treatment. The highest grain (4584 kg

ha-1) and straw (10084 kg ha-1) yields were significantly registered under treatment T7. Similar to yield, the significantly highest N

and P uptake by grain (76.81, 28.9 kg ha-1, respectively) and N uptake by straw (34.09 kg ha-1) of pearl millet was observed under T7

while it was true under T2 in case of P uptake (29.67 kg ha-1) by pearl millet straw. The highest net realization (Rs. 23885) was noticed

due to 75% RDF + 10t FYM ha-1 including Azospirillum as bio-fertilizer application compared to net income of Rs. 21174 under

fertilizer application at 100% RDF + 10t FYM ha-1. It is indicating more benefit besides reduction of chemical load i.e. 30 kg N and 15

kg P ha-1 with the inclusion of bio-fertilizer.

Key words : Pearl millet, Bio-fertilizer, FYM

INTRODUCTION

Pearlmillet, being low in price mainly consumed by

middle and poor class families. It also occupies an

important place in daily diet of many classes of the people

in India, particularly in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya

Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh where it is

grown comparatively on large scale. The use of organic

manure not only supplies sufficient nutrient but also

improve soil physico chemical and biological properties

of soils. Moreover, release of many organic acids during

decomposition of FYM convert unavailable soil nutrients

into available form and thereby requirement of nutrients

can be reduced under medium to high available nutrient

status. At the same time, nitrogen and phosphorus are

becoming costlier day by day. Hence, there is a wide

scope for biological nitrogen fixation through N fixer bio-

agents, and use of phosphate solublizer bacteria. which

are cheaper source. Bio-fertilizers are the product

containing living cells of different types of microorganisms

having an ability to mobilize nutritional element from non-

usable to usable form through biological process. In an

era of escalating prices of inorganic fertilizers and poor

purchasing power of marginal and small farmers, it is

necessary to develop a stra tegy to use cheaper

combination of bio-fertilizers and proper dose of inorganic

fertilizers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An experiment was conducted in summer season

on pearl millet (var., GHB 558) during 2008 at Anand

Agricultural University, Anand. Full dose of phosphorus

(60 kg P2O

5 ha-1) and 50 per cent nitrogen (60 kg N ha-1)

Correspondence to :

Y.C. LAKUM, Micronutrient Project (ICAR), Anand Agricultural University, ANAND (GUJARAT) INDIA

Authors’ affil iations:

S.H. PATEL, Agricultural Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Derol, PANCHAMAHAL (GUJARAT) INDIA

P.V. MEHTA, Micronutrient Project (ICAR), Anand Agricultural University, ANAND (GUJARAT) INDIA

Lakum, Y.C. , Patel, S. H. and Mehta, P.V. (2011). Reducing fertilizer requirement with the use of bio- fertilizers in summer pearl

millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.)]. Asian J. Soil Sci., 6(1): 50-53.

An Asian Journal of Soil ScienceVol. 6 No. 1 (June, 2011) : 50-53

Research

PaperReceived : February, 2011; Revised : March, 2011; Accepted : April, 2011

•HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE•

[Asian J. Soil Sci., 6 (1); (June, 2011)]•HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE• [ 51 ]

were applied in furrows before transplanting. Remaining

50 per cent nitrogen (60 kg N ha-1) was applied in two

equal splits at an interval of 20-25 days after transplanting

during the seasons of experimentation.

The soil was loamy sand in texture, low in organic

carbon and available N, while medium in available P and

high in available K. Ten treatments of nutr ient

management viz., T1 (RDF), T2 (RDF + 10 t FYM ha-1),

T3 (Azospirillum + 50% RDF +10 t ha-1), T

4 (Azotobacter

+ 50% RDF+ 10 t FYM ha-1), T5 (VAM + 50% RDF +

10 t FYM ha-1), T6

(PSB + 50% RDF +10 t ha-1), T7

(Azospirillum + 75% RDF +10 t ha -1) and T8

(Azotobacter + 75% RDF+ 10 t FYM ha-1), T9 (VAM

+ 75% RDF + 10 t FYM ha-1) and T10

(PSB + 75% RDF

+10 t ha-1) were tested under Randomized Block Design

with four replications. For biofertilizer application under

different treatments, pearl millet seedlings were inoculated

with Azospirillum, Azotobacter and PSB each at 5 ml

L-1, while VAM was applied at the rate of 5 kg ha-1.

The initial physico-chemical properties of soil are given

in Table 1.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results obtained from the present investigation

are summarized below:

Growth and yield parameters:

The results showed significant effect on plant height,

number of total and effective tillers, length of earhead,

yield and uptake due to different treatments (Table 2).

The treatment T7 recorded significantly higher plant height

171.41 cm). Similarly the total (6.48 plant-1) and effective

tillers (4.43 plant-1) as well as length of earhead (22.25

cm) were recorded significantly higher under the same

treatment. This treatment proved superior because bio-

fertilizer improves the plant height due to the production

Table 1: Initial physico-chemical properties of the soil

Sr.

No Characteristics Value

1. pH (1:2.5), Jackson (1973) 7.7

2. EC, dSm-1 (1:2.5), Jackson (1973) 0.14

3. Organic carbon (g kg-1), Jackson (1973) 0.22

4. Av. N kg ha-1, KMnO4 method, Subbiah and

Asija (1956)

185

5. NaHCO3 extractable P, P2O5 kg ha-1, Olsen et

al. (1954)

44.40

6. Available K2O kg ha-1, Flame photometric

method (Jackson, 1973)

353.8

Y.C. LAKUM, S.H. PATEL AND P.V. MEHTA

•HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE• [ 52 ] [Asian J. Soil Sci., 6 (1); (June, 2011)]

of various growth regulating substances such as indoles,

gibberellins and cytokinins. This contributes toward

vigorous growth of plant. The other reason might be

application of both bio-fertilizers, Azospirillum and

Azotobacter together supplied extra nutrients to the crop

as compared to their individual inoculation. These results

are in close conformity with those of Venkateswarlu and

Rao (1983); Raghuwanshi et al. (1997) and Guggari and

Kalaghatagi (2005)

The highest grain (4584 kg ha-1) and straw (10084

kg ha-1) yields were significantly registered under

treatment T7. The increase in yield might be due to the

fact that phytohormones produced by the bio-fertilizers

stimulated root growth and induced changes in root

morphology, which in turn affected the assimilation of the

nutrients (Sumner, 1990). The increased production could

be ascribed to bio-fertilizers viz., Azospirillum and

Azotobacter, which fix atmosphere nitrogen and available

to plants. As nitrogen is a constitute of protein and

chlorophyll it plays vital role in photosynthesis. These

finding support those of Rathore et al. (2006) and

Sonawane et al. (2007).

Nutrient uptake and net return:

Similar to yield, the significantly highest N and P

uptake by grain (76.81, 28.9 kg ha-1) and N uptake by

straw (34.09 kg ha-1) of pearl millet was observed under

T7 while it was true under T

2 in case of P uptake (29.67

kg ha-1) by pearl millet straw (Table 2).

The highest net realization (Rs. 23885) was noticed

due to 75% RDF + 10t FYM ha-1 including Azospirillum

as bio-fertilizer application compared to net income of

Rs. 21174 under fertilizer application at 100% RDF + 10t

FYM ha-1. It is indicating more benefit besides reduction

of chemical load i.e. 30 kg N and 15 kg P ha-1 with the

inclusion of bio-fertilizer (Table 3).

Conclusion:

In the light of results obtained from present

investigation it is concluded that for getting quantitative,

qualitative and economical yield of summer bajra; the

seedling of bajra (GHB -558) should be inoculated by

root dipping of Azospirillum for 20 minutes and the crop

should be fertilized with 75% RDF i.e. 90 kg N and 45 kg

P2O

5 coupled with 10 t FYM grown on sandy loam soil

of middle Gujarat. This particular treatment will give higher

yield and monetary realization with a saving of 25% of

the N and P requirements i.e. 30 kg N and 15 kg P2O

5 in

fertilization as compare to recommended dose of fertilizer

i.e. 120 kg N and 60 kg P2O

5.

REDUCING FERTILIZER REQUIREMENT WITH THE USE OF BIO- FERTILIZERS IN SUMMER PEARL MILLET

[Asian J. Soil Sci., 6 (1); (June, 2011)]•HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE• [ 53 ]

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Y.C. LAKUM, S.H. PATEL AND P.V. MEHTA