EFFECT OF MICROBIAL INOCULANTS AND ORGANICS ONGROWTH AND YIELD OF SUNFLOWER (Helianthus annuus L.)
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Date
14-08-12
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University of Agricultural Sciences GKVK, Bangalore
Abstract
The effect of microbial inoculants and organics on growth and yield of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) was studied under field conditions during Kharif 2011 at ZARS, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru. The results showed that the combined inoculation of Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium with vermicompost and 75 per cent N, P and 100 per cent K has significantly improved the plant growth parameters like plant height (161 cm), number of leaves (15.90), stem girth (2.12 cm), head diameter (14.6 cm), number of plants per plot (87), plant biomass (149.6 g plant-1) and yield attributes like seed yield (2787 kg ha-1), 100 seed weight (4.16 g), seed volume weight (47.14 g 100ml-1) and oil content (39.9 %). The above consortial treatment has also resulted in increased plant nutrient i.e., both major and micro nutrient (N 1.21%, P 0.66%, K 2.33%, S 9.54 mg kg-1, Zn 0.16 mg kg-1, B 0.13 mg kg-1, Fe 0.43 mg kg-1). Microbial analysis of soil at harvest has showed increased microbial population of both general (Bacteria 57 x 106 cfu g soil-1, Fungi 14.32 x 103 cfu g soil-1, Actinomycetes 11.32 x 104 cfu g soil-1) and introduced beneficial microflora (Azotobacter 9 x 105 cfu g soil-1, PSB 8.67 x 105 cfu g soil-1). Results, of this study has clearly elucidated a possible saving of 25% N and P chemical fertilizers when dual inoculation of Azotobacter chroococcum + Bacillus megaterium was made conjugation with vermicompost.