Influence of Bio Fertilizers and Zinc on Growth and Yield of Lentil (Lens culinaris L.)

A field experiment was conducted in Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Science, Prayagraj, (U.P), during the rabi season of 2021-22 with the objective to study the “Influence of bio fertilizers and zinc on growth and yield of Lentil (Lens culinaris L.)”. The soil in the experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, pH (7.2), low in organic carbon (0.82%), available N (274.48 kg/ha), available P (26.80 kg/ha) and available K (230.24 kg/ha).The layout of the experiment was done in a Randomized block design with nine treatments which is replicated thrice. The bio fertilizers (Rhizobium, Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM)) @ 25 g/kg of seeds and three levels of zinc (4,5,6 kg/ha).Growth and yield parameters namely plant height, number of nodules/plant, dry weight, pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, test weight, seed yield, Stover yield, harvest index were collected from this experiment. Results revealed that significantly higher plant height (35.24 cm), dry weight (25.64), number of nodules (8.33/plant), pods/plant (160.32), seeds/pod (1.89), seed yield (1.79 t/ha), Stover yield (2.60 t/ha) were recorded with treatment combination of Rhizobium at 25 g/kg seeds + Zinc at 6 kg/ha (treatment 3). Maximum gross return (91290.00 INR/ha), net returns (62405.65 INR/ha), and benefit cost (2.16) were obtained highest in the treatment combination of Rhizobium at 25 g/kg seeds + Zinc at 6 kg/ha (treatment 3).