Effect of Phosphorus Levels and Phosphate-Solubilizing Inoculants on Productivity and Profitability of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
K. S. Tripathi
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
P. K. Mishra
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Smriti Singh
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Shivani Thakur
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Shivendra Singh
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Vivek Patel
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Sourabh Dwivedi
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Shikha Shrivas
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Khushi Mishra
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Abhijeet Dubey
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Richa Singh
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
A. K. Jha *
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present investigation was carried out during the Kharif season of 2024 at the Agroforestry Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design comprising eight treatments, each replicated three times. The treatments involved varying phosphorus application rates, corresponding to 100%, 75%, and 50% of the recommended dose, either alone or in combination with phosphate-solubilising biofertilisers, namely Arbuscular Mycorrhiza and Phosphate-Solubilising Bacteria. The rice cultivar PB-1 (Pusa Basmati-1) was transplanted on 20 June 2024 at a spacing of 20 cm, using a seed rate of 40 kg ha⁻¹. The recommended NPK fertiliser dose of 120:60:40 kg ha⁻¹ was applied to the crop.The results revealed that the number of effective tillers, panicle length, panicle weight, and grains per panicle in rice significantly increased with higher phosphorus levels and the application of P-solubilising inoculants. The highest values were recorded under 100% P (T1) with 434 tillers m⁻², panicle length (24.26 cm), 179.23 grains per panicle, grain yield (4216 kg ha⁻¹), and straw yield (7367 kg ha⁻¹), followed closely by 75% P + PSB (T6) and 75% P + AM (T4), all statistically at par. The 1000-grain weight and harvest index were not significantly affected by the treatments. Economic analysis showed that 100% P produced the highest net returns (Rs. 87,335 ha⁻¹) and benefit-cost ratio (2.88), followed by T6 (2.80) and T4 (2.79), whereas the control recorded 2.18. The integrated application of phosphorus with P-solubilising inoculants significantly improved rice growth, yield, and economic returns compared with lower phosphorus levels and the untreated control.
Keywords: Rice, phosphorus management, phosphate-solubilising bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhiza, biofertiliser, yield attributes, grain yield, straw yield, profitability, benefit–cost ratio