SUMIT BHARDWAJ*, JHABAR MAL SUTALIYA1, RAVI KUMAR AND AKSHAY PAREEK
Department of Agronomy, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125004 (Haryana), India
MAP Section (GPB), CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125004 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail : sumitbhardwaj909@hau.ac.in)
(Received : 30 September 2021; Accepted : 15 December 2021)
SUMMARY
The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of zero tillage and seed treatment with different biofertilizers inoculations on fodder yield, nutrients and protein content of faba bean (Vicia faba L.). The field experiment was carried out in factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with two levels of tillage system viz., T1: Conventional Tillage (CT), T2: Zero Tillage (ZT) and eight levels of
biofertilizers inoculations viz., B1: Control (No Inoculation), B2: Rhizobium spp., B3: Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), B4: Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (VAM), B5: Rhizobium spp. + PSB, B6: Rhizobium spp. + VAM, B7: PSB + VAM, B8: Rhizobium spp. + PSB + VAM replicated three times during Rabi 2019-20. The source of biofertilizers used for seed treatment was Rhizotica containing Rhizobium spp., Phosphotica containing Pseudomonas spp. obtained from biofertilizer lab of CCS HAU and spore culture containing Glomus mosseae mycorrhizae for VAM inoculation. Dry matter accumulation (g/m.r.l.) in zero tillage was observed 2%, 3.6% & 5.45% higher than conventional tillage at 60 DAS, 90 DAS and harvest, respectively. The maximum dry matter accumulation (g/m.r.l.) was recorded in seed treatment with Rhizobium spp. + PSB + VAM at all the stages viz., 60 DAS (39.60), 90 DAS (89.05) and at harvest (305.67). Faba bean exhibited significantly higher nitrogen (0.80, 4.28) and phosphorus (0.12, 0.21) content of straw and seed respectively in ZT as compared to CT, however, no significant variation was observed concerning potassium content of straw as well as seed. NPK uptake of straw and seed was found significantly higher under ZT over CT. A significantly higher protein content (26.74%), protein yield (881 kg/ha) and straw yield (4839 kg/ha) were recorded under ZT in comparison to CT. Biofertilizers significantly affected nitrogen content, phosphorus content and NPK uptake of straw as well seed, whereas the effect on potassium content of straw and seed was nonsignificant. Rhizobium spp. + PSB + VAM exhibited maximum values for NPK content and uptake of straw as well as seed. Protein content, protein yield and straw yield were significantly affected by biofertilizer treatments, maximum been recorded in Rhizobium spp. + PSB + VAM.
Key words: Biofertilizer, fodder, nutrients, protein content, zero tillage