Impact of Phosphorus Levels and PSB Application on Soil Physio-Chemical Properties in Mustard Fields under Gmelina-Based Agroforestry
Deeksha Gupta *
Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur-482004, (Madhya Pradesh.), India.
R. Bajpai
Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur-482004, (Madhya Pradesh.), India.
S. B. Agrawal
Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur-482004, (Madhya Pradesh.), India.
B. S. Dwivedi
Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur-482004, (Madhya Pradesh), India.
Komal Bhatt
Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur-482004, (Madhya Pradesh.), India.
Poornima Malviya
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur-482004, (Madhya Pradesh), India.
Rahul Mandloi
Department of Post Harvest Process and Food Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, JNKVV, Jabalpur-482004, (Madhya Pradesh), India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study examines how soil qualities are affected by phosphorus (P) levels and phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB) inoculation techniques in an agroforestry system based on Gmelina arborea, with a particular emphasis on mustard (Brassica juncea L.) growing. The experiment was conducted from November to April in two consecutive years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 at JNKVV in Jabalpur, used a split-plot design with PSB application techniques (soil, seedling, and combination) as sub-treatments and phosphorus levels (30, 40, and 50 kg/ha) as the primary treatments. For soil analyses soil sample was collected from three different depth (0-15, 15-30 and 30-45 cm) and the soil type is black cotton soil, the pH was estimated as 6.32, the organic carbon content was 0.57%, and the phosphorus content was 16.84 kg/ha. The findings showed that PSB inoculation further increased phosphorus availability (pooled maximum: 19.16 kg/ha with combined soil and seedling inoculation), even though phosphorus levels considerably improved accessible phosphorus content (pooled maximum: 18.94 kg/ha at 50 kg P/ha). A slight difference in bulk density, approximately 0.02 g/cm², was observed during the research trial period in the same way, water holding capacity showed a negligible increase of 0.05%. The findings underscore the potential of integrated P and PSB management to enhance soil nutrient availability, particularly phosphorus, within tropical agroforestry systems, promoting sustainable agriculture practices.
Keywords: Nutrient use efficiency, agro-ecological practices, sustainable agriculture, phosphorus solubilizing bacteria, soil nutrient dynamics