Influence of Crop Establishment Practices and Microbial Inoculants on Nodulation of Summer Green Gram (Vigna radiata) and Soil Quality Parameters

A field experiment was carried out during summer season in 2018 at New Delhi to study the effect of crop establishment practices and microbial inoculation on nodulation of summer green gram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] and soil quality parameters. The experiment was laid out in split plot design and treatments were replicated thrice. The experiment included nine treatment combinations including three crop establishment practices viz., conventional tillage, zero tillage and zero tillage with chick pea residue @ 2.5 t/ha in main plots and three microbial inoculation treatment viz., control (no inoculation), dual inoculation of Rhizobium + PSB and combined inoculation of Rhizobium+ Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) + Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) Fungi in sub-plots. Results showed that zero tillage with residue produced significantly higher no. of root nodules/plant and root nodule weight/plant at 25, 35 and 45 DAS. The same treatment showed significantly superior soil chemical parameters viz., available N, P and K and soil microbial parameters like dehydrogenase activity, alkaline phosphatase activity and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) over other two treatments. Seed inoculation with Rhizobium+ PSB + AM Fungi was significantly superior to other two treatments with regard to no. of root nodules/plant and root nodule weight/plant at 25, 35 and 45 DAS, soil chemical and microbial parameters.