EFFECT OF PHOSPHORUS, MOLYBDENUM AND Rhizobium INOCULATION ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF MUNGBEAN

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted, during kharifl 2005 at the Soil Science Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute to study the effect of phosphorus, molybdenum and Rhizobium inoculation on the nodulation, growth, yield and yield contributing characters of mungbean (Vigna radiata) on a s i l ty clay loam soil . The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with four replications . Ten treatments including 8 treatment combinations of 4 levels of P (0, 20, 40. 60 kg/ha) and 2 levels of Mo (1.0, 1.5 kg/ha) having a common Rhizobium inoculant. One control with no Rhizobium or fertilization and a Rhizobium inoculation only were applied. The performance of Rhizobium inoculant alone was superior to control in almost al l parameters of the crop studied. The maximum Stover and grain yield (about 14.6 g/plant ) was obtained when plants were fertilized with phosphorus (40 kg/ha) , molybdenum (1.0 kg/ha) and Rhizobium inoculation. Rhizobium inoculation along with phosphorus and molybdenum significantly increased the growth of plants, number of nodules, and dry matter product ion as well as grain yield of mungbean significantly compared to inoculated control. Nodular ion (nodule number /plant) was the highest with 20 kg P/ha and 1.0 kg Mo/ha. However , phosphorus and molybdenum application at the rate of 40 kg P/ha and 1.0 kg Mo/ha progressively and significantly increased dry matter content of shoot and root , yield and yield contributing characters of mungbean. Higher dose of phosphorus (60 kg P/ha) and molybdenum (1.5 kg Mo/ha) decreased grain yield and other parameters. Dry weight of plant tops, seed yield/plant and yield -cont. ributing character s were positively correlated with the number of nodules /plant. From this point of view, dry matter product ion, nutrient uptake, yield and yield at tributes of mungbean combined application of Rhizobium inoculant with 40 kg P/ha and 1.0 kg Mo/ha was considered to be the balanced and sui table combination of fertilizer nutrients for achieving the maximum output through cultivation of mungbean in siltyclay loam soil .