Yield attributes, yield and quality of summer groundnut as influenced by application of phosphorus and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effects of different combinations of phosphorus and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria on yield and yield attributes, quality of summer groundnut (var. GJG 31), a field experiment was conducted at Instructional farm, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, during summer seasons of 2018. The treatments comprising of different four levels of phosphorus viz., 0, 12.5, 25 and 50 kg ha-1 and four levels of phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) viz., 0, 1, 2 and 3 lit ha-1 in Factorial Randomized Block Design repeated thrice were tested in the experiment, in respect of growth parameters, yield attributes, yield and quality parameters. The application of 50 kg P2O5 ha-1 was significantly increased the plant height (15.26%), number of branches (10.12%), number of nodules (7.62%), nodule dry weight (13.82%), number of pegs (14.93%), number of mature pods (17.88%), number of total pods (8.72%), shelling percentage (6.10%), test weight (6.94%), oil percentage (3.56%), protein content (5.14%), pod yield (17.88%) and haulm yield (13.75%) over the control plot treatment. However, number of immature pods did not influenced by phosphorus application. The application 3 lit PSB ha-1 was produced significantly favorable effect on increased plant height (14.92%), number of branches (11.81%), number of nodules (8.19%), nodule dry weight (11.95%), number of pegs (18.75%), number of mature pods (14.99%), number of total pods (6.61%), shelling percentage (6.31%), test weight (8.38%), protein content (7.62%), pod yield (14.99%) and haulm yield (14.78%) over the control plot treatment. However, number of immature pods and oil percentage did not influenced by PSB application. The significant interaction effect of phosphorus and PSB application was observed only in case of number of mature pods per plant and pod yield. Significantly higher numbers of mature pods per plant and pod yield were recorded with combine application of 50 kg P2O5 ha-1 with 2 lit PSB ha-1.