Effect of integrated organic nutrient sources on soil nutrient status and microbial population in strawberry field

Field experiment was carried out to ascertain the effect of integrated organic nutrient resources on plant growth, fruit yield, soil fertility and soil microbial population growth under organic strawberry production system. Five treatments combinations of nutrient resources, viz. T₁ -Farm yard manure + Azotobacter + phosphorus solublizing bacteria + oil cake, T₂ - Poultry manure + Azotobacter + Wood ash + phosphorus solubilizing bacteria+ Oil Cake, T₃ - Farm yard manure + Azospirillum + phosphorus solubilizing bacteria + oil cake, T₄ -Poultry manure + Azospirillum + Wood ash + phosphorus solubilizing bacteria + oil cake and T₅ - recommended dose of NPK (i.e. 340:150: 340 kg/ha) were tested on strawberry var. Senga Sengana. Maximum plant growth and fruit yield (132.75 q/ha) obtained with treatment T₂ closely followed by treatment T₄. Maximum available nitrogen (370.29 kg ha⁻¹) and phosphorus (22.11 kg ha⁻¹) was recorded with treatment T₄ with a gain of 36.29 and 4.61 kg/ha, respectively. Where as maximum potassium (331.79 kg ha⁻¹) was observed with treatment T₂ withagainof12.29kg/ha.Thepopulationof Azospirillium (1.55 x 10 ⁶) was highest with treatment T₄, however, maximum population of Azotobacter (1.45 × 10⁵) and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (1.16 × 10⁶) were observed with treatment T₂. On the basis of performance, treatments T₂ and treatment T₄ may be adopted for higher yield and sustainability.