Biofertilizers, Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Yield and Nutrient Economy in Forage Sorghum Affected by Nutrient Management in Preceding Mustard Ramanjaneyulu A. V.1,*, Giri G.2, Kumar S. R.3 1Regional Agricultural Research Station (ANGRAU), Palem, Mahaboobnagar, Andhra Pradesh (509 215), India 2Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi (100 012), India 3Directorate of Sorghum Research (ICAR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (500 030), India *Correspondence to E-mail: avr_agron@rediffmail.com
Online published on 31 March, 2014. Abstract The results of field experiment conducted during 2003–04 and 2004–05 revealed that green and dry fodder yield of sorghum were highest when the crop received recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) at 60 kg N+30 kg P2O5 ha−1, but the crop yielded comparable green and dry fodder when it received half RDF (30 kg N+15 kg P2O5 ha−1) + biofertilizers (Azotobacter + phosphate solubilizing bacteria). Further, RDF and half RDF + biofertilizers enhanced the dry fodder yield by 45.8 and 41.2%, respectively over control. The highest agronomic efficiency (57 kg dry fodder kg−1 N applied), net return (INR 5190 ha−1) and benefit-cost ratio (1.45) were also obtained with half RDF + biofertilizers. On the contrary, the crop removed significantly greater amount of N and P when supplied with RDF, while RDF and half RDF + biofertilizers were at par and significantly superior to half RDF and control in respect of K uptake. RDF (80 kg N+40 kg P2O5 ha−1) applied to preceding mustard significantly out yielded all other treatments in respect of green fodder yield of sorghum barring residual half RDF+biofertilizers. Residual RDF and half RDF+biofertilizers enhanced dry fodder yield by 31.6 and 27.0%, respectively. Top Keywords Biofertilizers, forage sorghum, nitrogen, nutrient management, phosphorus. Top |