Vol. 9 No. 2
Effect of biofertilizers and phytohormone on growth, productivity and quality of sunflower (Helianthus annuus. L)
Author(s): K. PRAMANIK AND A. K. BERA
Abstract: Biofertilizers like Azotobacter can fix atmospheric nitrogen; phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) are known to increase immobile nutrients particularly phosphorus in the root rhizosphere for increasing crop productivity. A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of biofertilizers and phytohormone on growth, productivity and quality of sunflower. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with four levels of biofertilizers inoculation Azotobacter, PSB+Azotobacter, VAM+Azotobacter and PSB+VAM+Azotobacter and two spraying of homo-brassinolide (HBR) @ 0.5 ml litre-1 of water at budding stage and budding+flowering. The results showed that inoculation of biofertilizers significantly increased aerial biomass production, CGR. test weight, weight of thalamus, number of filled seeds capitulum-1 and as well as seed yield, biological yield and oil content. The combined inoculation of PSB+VAM+Azotobacter recorded higher seed yield (3225 kg ha-1) over Azotobacter, PSB+Azotobacter and VAM+Azotobacter inoculation. Application of brassinolide at budding+flowering stages significantly recorded higher value of biomass production, CGR, yield parameters and yield as compared to brassinolide spraying at budding stage alone. The maximum seed yield (2838 kg ha-1) and oil yield was obtained from crop receiving the treatment of spraying of brassinolide over only one spraying at budding stage.
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