Effect of biofertilizers and inorganic fertilizers on soil health and growth of Poplar under nursery conditions
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Date
2017
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of biofertilizers and inorganic fertilizers on
soil microbial dynamics, nutrient content of soil and plant and plant growth parameters.
Significantly higher bacterial (195 x 108 CFU/g of soil), fungal (29 x 104 CFU/g of soil) and
PGPR (186 x 105 CFU/g of soil) population was recorded in treatment having consortium
biofertilizer + N100P100 whereas actinomycetes population (51 x 105 CFU/g of soil) in treatment
having inorganic fertilizers only. Highest diazotroph (77 x 105 CFU/g of soil) and PSB (42 x 104
CFU/g of soil) population was recorded in treatment having Azotobacter and PSB inoculation
respectively, with inorganic fertilizers. Maximum soil dehydrogenase (14.35 μg TPF
formed/min/g of soil), alkaline phosphatase (2.95 μg PNP formed/ h /g of soil) and urease (394.3
μg urea hydrolysed/ h/ g of soil) activity was observed where consortium biofertilizer + N100P100
was applied. Soil organic carbon (0.33%), available N (171.5 Kg/ha), P (21.3 Kg/ha) and K
(142.0Kg/ha) were found to be significantly higher in treatment with consortium biofertilizer +
inorganic fertilizers. Plant N (0.74 g/plant) and K (0.68 g/plant) uptake was recorded highest
under Azotobacter inoculation whereas highest P (0.16 g/plant) uptake was recorded under
consortium inoculation at N100P100 respectively. Plant growth parameters viz shoot fresh and dry
weight, shoot length, leaf number per plant were significantly higher in treatment having
Azotobacter + N100P100 while stem collar diameter and root length were recorded highest under
consortium + N100P100. Treatment having Azotobacter or consortium biofertilizer with N100P75
varied non significantly for highest root fresh and dry weight among the treatments. The effect of
treatments having AM cultures and inorganic fertilizers resulted in significantly higher bacterial
(132 x 108 CFU/g of soil), diazotroph (49 x 105 CFU/g of soil) population in treatment having
AM1 + N100P75 while PSB (32 x 104 CFU/g of soil) and PGPR (142 x 105 CFU/g of soil) in
treatment having AM1 + N75P75. Inoculated treatment having AM1 + N75P100 was recorded with
maximum fungal population (24 x 104 CFU/g of soil) whereas actinomycetes population (51 x 105
CFU/g of soil) was found highest in control. Highest soil phosphatase (1.92 μg PNP formed/ h /g
of soil) and urease (399.5 μg urea hydrolysed/h/g of soil) activity was observed under AM1 +
N100P75 whereas dehydrogenase activity (14.78 μg TPF formed/min/g of soil) under AM1 + N75P75.
Maximum soil organic carbon (0.34%), available N (157.1 Kg/ha) and P (17.0 Kg/ha) content was
recorded in treatment having AM1 + N100P75 while available K content (135.5 Kg/ha) in treatment
having AM1 + N75P75. Significantly higher plant N (0.70 g/plant), P (0.15 g/plant) and K (0.54
g/plant) uptake was recorded in treatments with AM1 inoculation and different doses of inorganic
fertilizers. Plant growth parameters viz. root- shoot biomass and length, leaf number per plant,
collar diameter were recorded highest in treatment having AM1 inoculation + recommended dose
of N and P fertilizer. Hence the combined effect of biofertilizers and inorganic fertilizer boosts
soil health and growth parameters of Poplar.
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