Effect of biofertilizers and nutrient sources on the performance of mungbean at Rupandehi, Nepal

Abstract

Nutrient management has been a major constraint in mungbean cultivation, resulting in huge economic losses to farmers. A field experiment was conducted at Paklihawa, Rupandehi, Nepal to evaluate the effects of different biofertilizers and nutrient sources on yield, performance, and economics of mungbean in 2020. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design comprising of three treatments of biofertilizers in the main plot i.e., Control, Rhizobium , and Azotobacter, and six treatments of organic and inorganic fertilizers in sub-plots i.e., Control, Farm Yard Manure (FYM) @5000 kg/ha, Poultry Manure (PM) @3000 kg/ha, Recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (RDF) @20:40:20 kg/ha, and Poultry manure in combination with the recommended dose of chemical fertilizer. The experiment results revealed that in the case of biofertilizer application, the highest grain yield was obtained by Rhizobium inoculation (1019.32 kg/ha) and with Azotobacte r inoculation (962.57 kg/ha) as compared to control (756.35 kg/ha). In the case of fertilizer application, integrated application of poultry manure and recommended dose of fertilizers resulted in a higher yield (1045 kg/ha), which is statistically similar to the combination of farmyard manure and recommended dose of fertilizers (991.08 kg/ha), followed by the solo use of fertilizer and control. The treatment with the recommended dose of fertilizers alone resulted in higher economics, while interaction with Rhizobium resulted in a benefit-cost ratio of 3.96. Moreover, organic manure treatment in control plots contributed to a low benefit-cost ratio (3) compared to other combinations of treatments (>3). The authors suggested the use of biofertilizers in combination with other fertilizers for better crop yields and high economic returns. However, further research is required to conclude the effects of different nutrient sources on successful mungbean cultivation. • The integrated application of biofertilizers and chemical fertilizers has a synergistic effect on the yield and performance of mungbean. • The recommended dose of fertilizers provided with Rhizobium inoculation resulted in higher economics. • Further comprehensive experimental research is needed to arrive at a more consistent and bolder conclusion.