Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

PHOSPHORUS LEVELS AND PHOSPHATIC BIOFERTILIZERS INFLUENCED YIELD, NUTRIENT UPTAKE AND SOIL FERTILITY UNDER WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.)

R.K. Bairwa, H.S. Purohit, R.H. Meena and H.K. Jain

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the winter season of 2011-12 at Rajasthan to study the effect of phosphorus levels and phosphatic biofertilizers on growth, yield attributes, nutrient uptake and soil fertility under wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop. The treatments consisted of 4 levels of phosphorus (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg P2O5 ha-1) and 4 treatments of phosphatic biofertilizers (no inoculation, Aspergillus awamori, VAM and Aspergillus awamori + VAM). The plant height, yield, yield attributes like, test weight and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake were significantly improved with application of 60 kg P2O5 ha-1. Similarly, all these parameters significantly increased owing to combined inoculation with Aspergillus awamori + VAM over individual and no inoculation. Nitrogen phosphorus and potassium uptake of wheat crop increased significantly only up to 60 kg P2O5 ha-1. Though increasing levels of phosphorus (up to 90 kg P2O5 ha-1) left the soil rich significantly in respect of post- harvest status of phosphorus. However, successive higher levels of phosphorus declined the available soil nitrogen status, though deletion was observed only up to 60 kg P2O5 ha-1. Inoculation with phosphatic biofertilizers also reduced the post- harvest status of available soil nitrogen. Highest decline was observed due to combined inoculation with Aspergillus awamori + VAM.