Evaluating the efficacy of inorganic fertilizers and biofertilizer consortium for enhanced crop yield and nutrient uptake in sorghum

Abstract

To determine the optimal combination of inorganic nutrients in conjunction with a biofertilizer consortium to achieve maximum rabi sorghum yield. A field study was conducted at the Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh, India in the rabi season of 2018-19. The design followed was a randomized block design, with seven different nutrient management practices tested and each replicated thrice with treatments T1: Control, T2: 100% Recommended dose of NPK (100:60:40) fertilizers, T3: 50% RDF+ Biofertilizer Consortium (BFC), T4: 75% RDF+ BFC, T5: 100% RDF+ BFC, T6: 125% RDF+ BFC, T7: BFC only. The study found that using 125% of the recommended along with a biofertilizer consortium (BFC) resulted in higher growth and yield traits. Notably, 125% RDF + BFC (T6) treatment significantly increased grain and Stover yield by 30.3 and 26.5% compared to the control. Treatment (T6) also showed the highest uptake of total nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, surpassing the 100% RDF + BFC. In summary, 125% RDF + BFC treatment resulted in enhancing growth, yield, and nutrient uptake in the study. Improvement in N uptake in the grain by (53.0%) and stover by (50.5%) compared with control treatment was observed with T6 treatment. The application of 125% RDF + BFC is the most effective treatment for enhancing yield traits and overall crop yield, and for fostering microbial growth, thus promoting soil health in sorghum cultivation.