Asian Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

A field experiment was conducted at Research Farm area of R.A.K. (Rafi Ahmad Kidwai) College of Agriculture, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh during rabi season 2023-24 to study the effect of Seed priming, Beejamrit, Jeevamrit and Micronutrients (Zn and Mo) in combination with Rhizobium and PSB inoculation on symbiotic traits, growth attributes, soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and leghaemoglobin content in root nodules, protein content in seed and grain yield of chickpea crop grown with one irrigation in Vertisol. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 10 treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments comprised of T₁: RDF + Rhizobium (Rh) + Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), T₂: RDF + Rh + PSB + Seed priming with water, T₃: RDF + Rh + PSB + Beejamrit treatment (seed primed), T₄: RDF + Rh + PSB + Seed priming with 0.05% Mo as Ammonium Molybdate (AM), T₅: RDF + Rh + PSB + AM 1 gm kg^-1 seed with inoculation, T₆: RDF + Rh + PSB + Jeevamrit spray at 35 and 55 days after sowing (DAS), T₇: T₁ + 0.05% AM spray at 35 and 55 DAS, T₈: T₁ + 0.5% ZnSO₄ + 0.25% Lime spray at 35 and 55 DAS, T₉: T₁ + 0.05% AM + 0.25% ZnSO₄ + 0.25% Lime spray at 35 and 55 DAS and T₁₀: 50% RDF + Rh + PSB + Jeevamrit spray + 0.05% AM + 0.25% ZnSO₄ + 0.25% Lime spray at 35 and 55 DAS. The symbiotic traits, growth attributes at 50 DAS and grain yield was significantly increased by the application of RDF + Rhizobium + PSB + Ammonium Molybdate @ 1 gm kg^-1 seed with inoculation (T₅), followed by treatment T₁₀ (50% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB + Jeevamrit spray + 0.05% AM + 0.25% ZnSO₄ + 0.25% Lime spray at 35 and 55 DAS). The T₅ treatment produces about 26% higher grain yield over the RDF + Rhizobium + PSB (T₁). The treatment T₅ recorded highest protein content in seed i.e. 19.50%, followed by the treatment T₁₀ (19.31%). DHA in rhizosphere soil and leghaemoglobin content in root nodules at 50 DAS was found maximum in treatment T₅ (31.20 µg TPF [Triphenyl formazan] g^-1 soil hr^-1 and 3.10 mg g^-1 respectively), followed by treatment T₁₀ with values 30.60 µg TPF g^-1 soil hr^-1 and 3.08 mg g^-1 respectively. The study indicated necessity of application of molybdenum wherever deficient in Vertisol under intensive (Soybean-Chickpea) cultivation of legumes, for enhancing productivity of chickpea and also gave indication that by integration of Jeevamrit spray + 0.05% AM + 0.25% ZnSO₄ + 0.25% Lime spray at 35 and 55 DAS, a saving of 50% RDF can be made under existing practice. Further, this study also give an indication that the use of RDF along with biofertilizers i.e. Rhizobium + PSB and seed priming in beejamrit (T₃) for four hours before sowing may also be a beneficial option with slightly lower, but statistically identical chickpea yield with highest yielded treatment T₅.