Author(s):

Navya K, Desai KD, Tandel YN and Sheth SG

Abstract: The effect of different integrated nutrient sources and bio-fertilizers on growth, yield and quality parameters of elephant foot yam (250 g ± 50 g seed corm size) and also its impact on soil fertility status after harvesting the crop was evaluated at RHRS farm, N. A. U., Navsari, Gujarat. The experiment was arranged over 8 treatment combinations comprising 4 levels of integrated nutrient sources and two levels of bio-fertilizers, laid out in a Randomized Block Design (Factorial concept) with three replications. Application of 50 % RDN through inorganic fertilizers + 50 % RDN through vermicompost along with RDF of P and K (T₂) showed significant impact on most of the parameters studied at 120 and 150 DAP. Plant height (73.02 cm and 78.87 cm), petiole length (49.33 cm and 56.75 cm), canopy spread E-W (90.27 cm at 150 DAP only) and N-S (88.87 cm and 89.82), culm girth (15.06 cm and 15.74 cm) and number of leaflets per plant (362.07 and 318.90) were recorded maximum. These values were statistically remained at par with T₃ treatment, except canopy spread in N-S direction which was significantly superior than all other treatments. Application of bio-fertilizres (B₁) [combination of Azospirillum, Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and Potash Mobilizing Bacteria (KMB) each at 5 liters ha^-1.] also showed significant impact over the treatment without bio-fertilizers, on the parameters discuss above at 120 and 150 DAP. Plant height (70.12 cm and 76.68 cm), petiole length (47.94 cm and 53.50 cm), canopy spread E-W (87.09 cm at 150 DAP only) and N-S (83.84 cm and 86.88 cm), culm girth (14.37 cm and 14.82 cm) and number of leaflets per plant (343.63 and 302.98) were recorded maximum at 120 and 150 DAP, respectively. The interaction effect between INM sources and bio-fertilizers was found significant at 150 DAP in two parameters only i.e. plant height and petiole length. Treatment combination of T₂B₁ recorded maximum plant height (79.15 cm) and petiole length (57.30 cm) at 150 DAP. Yield and its attributes viz., harvest index (51.77 %), corm circumference (48.36 cm), fresh corm weight (1.267 kg) and yield per hectare (26.37 t) were recorded highest in treatment T₂ and all these parameters were statistically remained at par with T₃ treatment. These parameters were found significantly superior with harvest index of 48.51 %, corm circumference of 46.99 cm, fresh corm weight of 1.186 kg and yield of 24.84 t/hectare over the treatment without application of bio-fertilizers. Among corm quality parameters, starch content was highest (16.57 %) in T₃ treatment whereas, different INM sources did not show any significant effect on β-carotene and calcium oxalate content. Among different parameters studied for soil fertility status after harvest only organic carbon content showed significant difference with maximum value of 0.597 % in T₂ treatment but remained at par with T₃ and T₄ treatments. The application of bio-fertilizers could not show any significant differences on corm as well as soil quality parameters except organic carbon content which was found significantly superior with 0.588 per cent over no bio-fertilizers application. The treatment combination of T₃B₁ realized highest B:C ratio.

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