Response of lentil to bio and chemical fertilizers at farmer’s field

Abstract

Field trials were carried out at the Farming System Research & Development site, Hatgavindapur, Faridpur, On-Farm Research Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute during rabi seasons of 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 with the objectives to evaluate the response of lentil to Rhizobium biofertilizer and to reduce the use of N-fertilizer under farmers field condition. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. Unit plot size was 4 m x 5 m. Four fertilizer treatments viz. T₁: 24-22-42-20-5 kg N-P-K-S-Zn ha^-1, T₂: 50-22-42-20-5 kg N-P-K-S-Zn ha^-1, T₃: 0-22-42-20-5 kg N- P-K-S-Zn ha^-1 + Rhizobium Inoculum and T₄: Farmers practices were studied. Farmers practice was 25-18-21-0-0 kg N-P-K-S-Zn ha^-1. BARI Masur-4 and peat based rhizobial inoculum (strain BARI RLc-102) @ 1.5 kg ha^-1 were used. Result revealed that application of Rhizobium biofertilizer along with PKSZn chemical fertilizers produced the highest nodule number (11.62 plant^-1) and nodule weight (11.94 mg plant^-1), and the seed yield 1.44 t ha^-1. The seed yield was higher in T₃ treatments (N₀P₂₂K₄₂S₂₀Zn₅ + Inoculum) than T₁ (N₂₄P₂₂K₄₂S₂₀Zn₅) and T₂ (N50P22K42S20Zn5) treatments. No variation was observed in seed yield in treatments T₁, T₂ and T₃ but significantly different from farmers practice. Farmers practice showed the lowest yield. Economic analysis revealed that T₃ treatment i.e. PKSZn plus Rhizobium inoculum gave the highest 5.36 benefit cost ratio (BCR) followed by T₁ 4.68 and T₂ 3.61. It is evident from the experiment that application of biofertilizer can be used as substitute of nitrogenous fertilizer for higher yield of lentil at farmers field in Faridpur.

Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(3): 501-506, September 2015