Year: 2015 | Month: June | Volume 8 | Issue 2
Impact of Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria and Phosphorus Application on Forage Yield and Quality of Berseem in West Bengal
DOI:10.5958/2230-732X.2015.00039.X
Abstract:
Phosphorus availability is increased through the use of phosphate solubilizing bacteria for enhancing the forage yield and improving the quality of berseem fodder. A field experiment was conducted in the fodder farm of West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Belgachia during rabi, season 2013-14. The crop was sown with inoculated (I1) and un-inoculated (I0) seeds of berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) of variety warden and was given phosphorus fertilizer at the levels 40 (P1), 60 (P2), 80 (P3) and 100 (P4) kg P2O5 ha-1 in the form of SSP in RCBD with three replications in plots of net size 6 m X 2 m. PSB inoculation significantly increases green forage and dry matter yield by increasing plant height, no. of branches, leaf-stem ratio, etc. All the quality traits except ash content and dry matter percentage were significantly affected by PSB inoculation. Higher green forage yield (320.4 qt ha-1), dry matter yield (39.2 qt ha-1), crude protein yield (7.89 qt ha-1), crude protein percentage (19.28%), ethyl extract (3.32%) and nitrogen free extract (41.75%) were recorded from the plots inoculated with PSB. Application of phosphorus fertilizers significantly influenced the green forage and dry matter yield of berseem, leaf-stem ratio, etc. though plant height and no. of branches were not-significant. All the quality parameters i.e. CP, CF, EE, NFE, except ash percentage were significantly influenced by phosphorus application. Best results were obtained with 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 in all the cases. Regarding interaction effect, higher yields of better quality green forage of berseem were obtained in I1P3 i.e. inoculation with PSB with phosphorus application of 80 kg P2O5 ha-1.
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