Responses of fresh leaf yield and quality variables of M5 mulberry to bio-inoculants, farm yard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilizers under rain-fed conditions

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to know the effect of integrated use of bio-inoculants (Azotobacter sp. at 20 kg/ha/year, Aspergillus awamori at 25 kg/ha/year and Trichoderma harzianum at 20 kg/ha/year), farm yard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilizers (IF, that is, Nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) on fresh leaf yield and quality variables of M5 mulberry under rain-fed condition during 2006-07. The experiment was laid out using randomized complete block design with eight treatments replicated thrice. The results revealed that combined use of treatment components had a positive effect on fresh leaf yield and quality variables of mulberry on par with the standard check (100:50:50 kg/ha/year NPK and 12 MT/ha/year FYM). Application of the recommended dosage of fertilizers recorded maximum fresh leaf yield per plant (403.60 and 538.13; 718.74 and 867.57 g) at 45 and 60 days after pruning in the first and second crops, respectively. However, it was consistently and statistically on par with T4 (397.80 and 530.40; 614.07 and 795.20 g). Further, the leaf quality variables namely, moisture percentage (71.89 and 70.90; 71.50 and 68.90 at 45 and 60 days after pruning for crop I and II, respectively), chlorophyll (a) (1.45 mg/g), chlorophyll (b) (0.69 mg/g), total chlorophyll (2.14 mg/g), crude protein (18.21 mg/g), total soluble protein (8.82 mg/g), total soluble sugar (7.95 mg/g) and NPK (2.98, 1.72 and 1.33%, respectively) content of the leaf were maximum in the standard check which was on par with T4. Thus, N and P inorganic fertilizers can be reduced to the tune of 25% without affecting the fresh leaf yield and quality variables of M5 mulberry by amending the same through bio-inoculants under rain-fed conditions.