Combination of blended fertilizer (NPKSZn) and bio-fertilizer on growth, yield, and yield attributing characters of lentil (lens culinaris medikus)

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> Tremendous use of chemical fertilizer has led to the distraction of microorganisms in the soil and this causes depletion in essential minerals of the soil. To minimize these environmental and soil damages caused by chemical fertilizers, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of biofertilizer (Rhizobium and Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB)) and blended fertilizer (NPKSZn) on growth, yield, and yield attributing characters of lentil. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with eight treatments <italic>viz.</italic> T1: Control T2: Rhizobium, T3: PSB inoculation, T4: only NPKSZn, T5: Rhizobium + PSB inoculation, T6: Rhizobium inoculation + NPSZ, T7: PSB inoculation + NPKSZn and T8: Rhizobium + PSB inoculation + NPKSZn. <italic>Rhizobium</italic> and PSB inoculation were used @ 250 g/10 kg seeds and the recommended dose (100kg ha^{− 1} NPKSZn). The results of the present investigation revealed that longest plant height (53.61cm), Maximum nodulation (25.78), pod per plant (111.1), highest grain (1115.8 kg ha^{− 1}), straw (1713 kg ha^{− 1}) and biological yield (2829 kg ha-1), highest net benefit (26382.56 ETB ha^{− 1}) with an acceptable and maximum marginal rate of return (741.6%) was recorded in dual inoculation of seed with Rhizobium and PSB. Therefore inoculation of Rhizobium and PSB enhances the production, and productivity and the seed must be inoculated with dual culture of <italic>Rhizobium</italic> and PSB along with another package of practices for the crop.