Abstract
The present study was conducted in Bahawalpur, which is characterized by extremely
dry and harsh desert conditions with very little rainfall and water availability. Due to
less availability of water, the production of food crops is unpredictable that is not
enough to feed the local population. To cope with the shortage of cereal grains and
water, it is need of the hour to arrange some alternate food sources that can be produced
with limited water. Chickpea can be successfully grown under water limited
conditions. Biofertilizers have the ability to improve the growth and nodulation of
chickpea enables it to withstand the periods of drought. The study was involved
evaluation of multi-strain biofertilizer (developed from novel strains of Mesorhizobium
cicri, Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp.) effectiveness in combination with organic
sources for improving the productivity of chickpea in Cholistan desert area of
Bahawalpur. Four field trials were conducted in different villages of Bahawalpur.
Biofertilizer along with enriched compost and farmyard manure were applied under
field conditions with three replications. The combined application of farm yard manure
and biofertilizer improved nodules formation, plant growth, yield and chemical
parameters as compared to control. It can be concluded that the use of biofertilizer in
combination with farm yard manure is significantly effective in improving the
productivity and profitability of chickpea. So, the farmers of Cholistan area should be
recommended to adopt the biofertilizer technology along with organic manures that
will not only enhance the grain yield but also rejuvenate the soil health.
Maqshoof Ahamd, Azhar Hussain, Muhammad Fakhar-U-Zaman Akhtar, Muhammad Zafar-Ul-Hye, Tayyaba Naz, Muhammad Mazhar Iqbal. (2017) Effectiveness of multi-strain biofertilizer in combination with organic sources for improving the productivity of Chickpea in Drought Ecology, Asian Journal of Agriculture and Biology, Volume 5, Issue 4.
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