Effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria and blue green algae on yield and NPK content in hybrid rice

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2020 on sandy loam soil in texture and classified as mixed hyperthermic typic haplustepts to investigate the impact of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and blue green algae (BGA) on crop yield and NPK nutrient uptake in hybrid rice cultivation. Thirteen treatments laid in completely randomized design with two different doses of chemical fertilizers (100% and 75%), two isolates of PSB (Enterobacter cloacae strain BAU3 and Bacillus aryabhattai strain BAUMS8) and blue green algae had been used in the study. The grain and straw yield of hybrid rice and nutrient uptake in both grain and straw increased significantly when supplied with 100% recommended dose of inorganic fertilizers (RDF) + PSB @ 750 ml ha-1 + BGA @ 10 kg ha-1 as compared to 100% RDF. It had been observed that combined application of PSB and BGA along with 100% RDF, enhanced grain and straw yield upto 11.17 and 6.53 percent, respectively in comparison to 100% RDF. Increase in the concentration of grain and straw N in treatment T8 was 8.65% and 11.42%, respectively, when compared with treatment T2 (100% RDF). The concentration of grain P in treatment T8 were 5.80% when compared with treatment T2 (100% RDF) while the magnitude of increase in rice straw was 7.28 percent. A similar trend of result was obtained in the case of K content in grain and straw of hybrid rice but the K concentration was higher in straw. Finally, application of 100% RDF along with PSB @ 750 ml ha-1 + BGA @ 10 kg ha-1 significantly augmented the yield and nutrient content in hybrid rice.