Impact of Jeevamrut formulations and biofertilizers on soil microbial and chemical attributes during potato cultivation

Abstract

Application of jeevamrut, fortified with neem cake or vermitea, in combination with consortia of plant growth-promoting microorganisms such as Azotobacter, Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM) or Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) would attenuate the negative effects of synthetic fertilizers over microbial and physicochemical properties of soil. The present study was carried out during 2021–2022 and 2022-23 with two factors, namely Factor-J (Jeevamrut) of 4 levels and Factor-B (Biofertilizers) of 5 levels. Four levels of factor-J include three jeevamrut formulations with one control while five levels of factor-B include four biofertilizer combinations with one control. Observations of various soil-based parameters confirm a significant reduction in soil pH and electrical conductivity of soil after harvesting potato crops (variety Kufri Bahar) under different treatments in comparison to controls and the initial value. Further, the organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium of soil were reported to be enhanced after the application of jeevamrut fortified with vermitea or neem cake. The efficacy of fortified jeevamrut can be further improved by adding a consortia of biofertilizers consisting of PSB and Azotobactor or VAM fungi. These treatments have also a significant effect on enhancing soil microbial activities.