Effect of Liquid and Charcoal Based Consortium Biofertilizers Amended with Additives on Growth and Yield in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

The present study was carried out to compare the shelf life and bio-efficacy of liquid and charcoal based biofertilizers of LGR33+RB1 amended with different additives viz.0.1% CMC, 2% PVP and 10mM trehalose stored at 4oC and 28oC upto 300 days in chickpea. Significantly high viable cell count of bacterial population as well as plant growth promoting (PGP) traits viz. IAA production and P solubilization at an interval of 30 days were recorded in liquid based biofertilizer treatments with additives during the entire study period (300 days) at 4oC and 28oC as compared to charcoal based biofertilizer treatments. However, among different additives amendment with 0.1% CMC showed maximum viable population and PGP traits in both liquid as well as charcoal based biofertilizers. In vivo studies, all liquid as well as charcoal based biofertilizer treatments with additives improved growth parameters in chickpea as compared to recommended consortium treatment without additives. Liquid biofertilizer treatment LGR33+RB1+0.1% CMC recorded maximum plant height, chlorophyll content, number of nodules, dry weight of nodules as well as leghaemoglobin content, soil enzyme activity, total N and P content of shoot and soil along with improvement in grain yield over uninoculated control.