Effect of Fertility Levels and Biofertilizers on Growth Parameters, Root Architecture and Quality of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The present field experiment was conducted during Rabi season of 2017–18 at the Student's Instructional Farm of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh to evaluate the effect of different fertility levels and biofertilizers on growth parameters, root architecture and quality of late sown chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). The experiment comprised of 12 treatment combinations in split plot design which comprised 4 treatments [F1 (control), F2 (RDF 100%), F3 (75% RDF), F4 (50% RDF)] in main plot and 3 treatments [B1 (Rhizobium + PSB), B2 (Rhizobium + PGPR) and B3 (Rhizobium + PSB + PGPR)] in sub plots with three replications. Results showed that among the different fertility levels, application of 100% RDF significantly enhanced growth parameters, root architecture and protein yield over the control. Among the different biofertilizers treatments application of Rhizobium + PSB + PGPR had significantly improved growth parameters, root architecture and protein yield as compared to Rhizobium + PGPR. The combined application of 100% RDF with Rhizobium + PSB + PGPR resulted in significantly higher growth parameters, root architecture and protein yield of late sown chickpea during winter (Rabi).