Indian Journal of Agronomy

  • Year: 2010
  • Volume: 55
  • Issue: 1

Bio inoculants for enhancing the productivity and nutrient uptake of winter irrigated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) under graded levels of nitrogen and phosphatic fertilizers

  • Author:
  • P. Nalayini, K. Sankaranarayanan, R. Anandham
  • Total Page Count: 4
  • DOI:
  • Page Number: 64 to 67

Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641 003.

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during winter (August – February) seasons of 2003–04 and 2004–05 under irrigated condition at Coimbatore to study the usefulness of bio-inoculants in reducing the inorganic nitrogen and phosphatic fertilizers for cotton. Four graded levels of N and P (0,50,75 and 100% recommended dose (RDNP) and four bio inoculants viz., Azospirillum from, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Surat were combined with Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) + Pink Pigmented Facultative Methylotrophs (PPFM) along with uninoculated control. Cotton ‘LRA 5166’ responded significantly to graded levels of N and P and bio-inoculants. Application of 75% RDNP along with Azospirillum (HAU) + PSB + PPFM yielded 2.91 tonne/ha seed cotton with higher net return (Rs 40,553) and net B:C ratio value of 1.94 while, application of 100% RDNP without bio-inoculants yielded only 2.54 tonne/ha. Judicious combination of bio-inoculants along with moderate use of chemical fertilizers is recommended for cotton.

Keywords

Inoculation methods, Nitrogen, Nutrient uptake, Phosphorus, Seed cotton yield