COST ECONOMICS OF RABI MAIZE (Zea mays L.) AS INFLUENCED BY DRIP FERTIGATION OF NITROGEN, POTASSIUM AND MICROBIAL CONSORTIUM

A. SAI KIRAN¹*, K. AVIL KUMAR², M. UMA DEVI³, B. BALAJI NAIK⁴, S. TRIVENI^5
1Water Technology Centre, College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, Telangana, India
²Associate Director of Research, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Palem, Nagarkurnool, 509215, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, Telangana, India
³Director and Principal Scientist (SS&AC), Water Technology Centre, College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, Telangana, India
⁴Senior Scientist (Agro.), Agro Climate Research Centre, ARI, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, Telangana, India
⁵University Head, Department of Agricultural Microbiology & Bioenergy, College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, Telangana, India
* Corresponding Author : appalasai38@gmail.com

Received : 02-11-2020     Accepted : 26-11-2020     Published : 30-11-2020
Volume : 12     Issue : 11       Pages : 1926 - 1928
Int J Microbiol Res 12.11 (2020):1926-1928

Keywords : Fertigation, Biofertigations, Microbial Consortium, Gross and net returns
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, Telangana, India
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

The field experiment was conducted with two fertigation levels (100 and 75% RD N&K) and four levels of Microbial Consortium biofertigation (MC, Azotobacter, P solubulizing bacteria, K releasing bacteria and Zn solubulizing bacteria) at Water Technology Centre, College of Agriculture, PJTSAU, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during rabi 2018-19 on maize (Zea mays L.). Randomized Block Desing (RBD) with 3 replications was used for this experiment. The maximum grain yield (7254 and 7304 kg ha-1) was obtained with fertigation of 100% RD N&K and biofertigation of MC five times. Also, the interaction effect was not significant. Between fertigation levels maximum cost of cultivation was observed in 100% RD N&K (?75,488 ha-1) followed by 75% RD N&K (?70,917 ha-1) and in second factor, soil application of MC recorded higher cost of cultivation (?75,973 ha-1) and the minimum was observed in treatment where MC was not applied (?71,573 ha-1). Fertigation of 100% RD N&K recorded significantly higher gross and net returns (?1,32,797 and ?57,309 ha-1, respectively), whereas fertigation with 75% RD N&K recorded on par net returns (?56,151 ha-1) with 100% RD N&K and higher B:C ratio (1.91) than 100% RD N&K. Biofertigation of MC five times recorded significantly higher gross returns (?1,33,665 ha-1) over treatment where MC was not applied (?1,23,645 ha-1) and was on par with biofertigation of MC three times (?1,32,301 ha-1) and soil application of MC (?1,30,118 ha-1). Significantly, higher net returns were observed with five times and three times biofertigation of MC (?60,892 and ?59,808 ha-1) compared to soil application of MC (?54,146 ha-1) and treatment without MC application (?52,072 ha-1) which recorded lower net returns. Higher B:C ratio was observed with five times MC biofertigation (1.84) and three times MC biofertigation (1.83). Significantly Lower B:C ratio was observed in soil application of MC (1.71) and treatment without application of MC (1.73).

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