An On-Farm Trial on the Effect of Biofertilizer and Sulphur on Productivity of Sunflower in a Typical Alluvial Soil

A two-year on-farm trial (OFT) was conducted at the Instructional Farm and farmer’s field by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ashokenagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India, during the rabi seasons of 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 to evaluate the impact of azotobacter inoculation and sulfur application on the growth, yield, and economic returns of a typical alluvial soil crop. The experiment compared three treatments: Farmer’s Practice (control), Farmer’s Practice + azotobacter + sulphur @ 20 kg/ha, and farmer’s practice + azotobacter + sulphur @ 40 kg/ha. Measurements at 50% flowering indicated significant improvements in leaf area index (LAI) and chlorophyll content with increasing levels of azotobacter and sulfur application. Similarly, basal girth and capitulum diameter showed substantial increases as these treatments were escalated. Seed weight per capitulum, yield (t/ha), oil percentage, and crude protein content also exhibited notable enhancements with higher application rates of azotobacter and sulfur. Economic analysis revealed that both azotobacter and sulfur applications at 40 kg/ha significantly increased gross returns, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio compared to the control and the lower application rate, demonstrating their potential economic viability under local farming conditions.

Pabitra Adhikary*1, Mrinal Kanti Das2, Monayem Hossain Molla3 and Sukanta Saren4 Click here to download file

Research Article | Published online : 27-Nov-2024