Yield enhancement in greengram [Vigna radiata (L) Wilczek] through integrated nutrient management approaches

Introduction

In India, pulses are a key component of nutrition, providing an affordable and rich source of protein, thereby ensuring nutritional security. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, India, reported that the overall pulse production for 2024-25 is estimated at approximately 256.83 lakh tonnes, with Moong accounting for 42.44 lakh tonnes (Press Information Bureau, 2025) [1] . The cultivated area for pulse crops in India in 2024-25 was approximately 35.58 lakh hectares, accounting for almost 70% of global greengram output (Greengram Outlook-October,2024) [2] . Greengram serves as an excellent source of protein, dietary fibre, key minerals, as well as important vitamins. Its grains are utilized for preparing dal and soups, and also serve as a source of animal feed, whereas the crop residues are used as fodder or fuel. In addition to its nutritional benefits, green gram has the exceptional ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil through a symbiotic relationship with rhizobial bacteria, which converts atmospheric nitrogen into a plant-available form, enriching the soil with this essential nutrient (Senaratne et al., 1995) [3] . As a result of this inherent nitrogen-fixing ability, the inclusion of greengram as an intercrop or as a subsequent crop in rotation systems enhances soil fertility. Although the sole use of chemical fertilizers may increase the yield of crops, their continuous use has adverse impacts on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, affecting sustainability. Consequently, greengram plays an important role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices by reducing dependence on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and improving overall soil health. However, to achieve optimum and sustainable crop yields, the integrated use of organic amendments and chemical fertilizers is essential, as the exclusive use of organics may lead to nutrient imbalances and insufficient nutrient availability. INM integrates a combination of organic manures, biofertilizers, and inorganic fertilizers to provide balanced nutrients for the duration of crop growth. Integrated nutrient management (INM) has assumed considerable importance in recent years, due to the growing emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices. Organic manures like Farm Yard Manure (FYM) provide essential nutrients and organic matter, enhancing the soil structure and microbial activity, supporting healthy root growth and long-term soil fertility (Tilahun et al., 2013) [4] . Application of biofertilizers like Rhizobium facilitates efficient nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation, improving grain mass and total crop productivity (Mehandi et al., 2019) [5] . A field experiment was therefore formulated to study the effect of integration of inorganic fertilizer, organic manure (FYM), and Rhizobium on green gram.

Materials and Methods

A field experiment was carried out during the summer season of 2018 at the Agricultural Experimental Farm of the University of Calcutta, Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, located in the Gangetic alluvial plains of West Bengal. The soil of the experimental field was clay loam soil with a slightly acidic reaction. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) comprising seven treatments and three replications. The treatments consisted of different combinations of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients, designated as: T1-Control, T 2 -FYM @10t/ ha+ Rhizobium, T 3 -100% RDF (Recommended dose of Fertilizer) + Rhizobium, T 4 -50% RDF + Rhizobium, T 5 -50%RDF + FYM@10 t/ha + Rhizobium, T 6 -100% RDF + FYM@10 t/ha + Rhizobium, T 7 -50% RDF +FYM@10t/ha. FYM was applied 20 days before sowing. The Rhizobium inoculated seeds were dried in the shade prior to sowing. Crop management practices were followed as per standard recommendations. Urea, single superphosphate (SSP), and muriate of potash (MOP) served as the sources of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively. The recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) for greengram was 20:40:20 kg/ha of N: P₂O₅: K₂O, along with 10 t/ha of FYM. Rhizobium inoculation was applied @ 25 g per kg of seed. The variety Samrat was used and sown at a spacing of 30 cm × 10 cm. The yield parameters, such as number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, pod length, test weight, and seed yield, were recorded after harvesting the crop. All observations recorded during the investigation were subjected to statistical evaluation. [6] and Kankarwal et al. (2025) [7] .

Number of seeds/pod

The number of seeds per pod varied across the treatments and ranged from 7.02 to 9.79 (Table 2). The lowest value was observed in control (T 1: 7.02), under nutrient-deficient conditions. Among the treatments, T 6 recorded the highest number of seeds per pod (9.79). T 5 and T 3 were found to be statistically at par with each other, with values of 8.96 and 8.39, respectively, demonstrating the positive effect of integrated nutrient application involving RDF, FYM, and Rhizobium inoculation. Treatments T 2 (7.90) and T 4 (7.90) exhibited a moderate response, while T 7 (7.63) showed only a slight improvement over the control. These results were consistent with the findings of Tyagi and Upadhyay (2015) [8] .

The shortest pod length was recorded under the control (T 1: 7.38 cm). Progressive improvement was observed with the incorporation of fertilizers, FYM, and biofertilizer. Among all treatments, T 6 recorded the maximum pod length (9.13 cm), followed by T 5 (8.61 cm) and T 3 (7.99 cm), highlighting the beneficial effect of applying RDF in combination with FYM and Rhizobium. Treatments T 2 (7.65 cm), T 4 (7.63 cm), and T 7 (7.55 cm) demonstrated slight improvement over the control but remained lower compared to integrated nutrient treatments. The trend observed in pod length variation among treatments in the present study agrees with the findings of Patel et al. (2016) [9] , where pod length increased with the application of organic and biofertilizer-based treatments.

Test weight (100g)

Treatment with 100% RDF, FYM, and Rhizobium recorded the highest test weight of 3.87g, followed by T5 and T 3 . Treatments T 2 (3.17 g), T 4 (3.46 g), and T 7 (3.37 g) showed moderate increases compared to the control, though their performance was comparatively lower than the fully integrated nutrient combinations. The test weight recorded in the present study aligns with the findings of Soni et al. (2024) [10], who also observed higher seed weight under the combined application of organic and inorganic nutrient sources.

Seed yield (Kg/ha) Application of 100% RDF + FYM@10 t/ha + Rhizobium inoculation of seed in T6 recorded significantly highest seed yield of 1,096.93 kg ha⁻¹, which was 37.48% higher than control, followed by T 5 (50%RDF + FYM@10 t/ha + Rhizobium) with a yield of [11] .

Summary and Conclusion

The results of the study indicate that the varying levels and sources of NPK, FYM, and Rhizobium inoculation exerted differential impacts on crop growth and yield. The treatment T 6 -100% RDF + FYM@10 t/ha + Rhizobium showed superior performance for all yield and yield-attributing traits, suggesting that nutrient integration plays a crucial role in enhancing overall plant vigour. In contrast, treatments receiving only chemical fertilizers or without biological inoculants showed comparatively lower yield, indicating that sole reliance on inorganic fertilizers may not fully optimize crop response. This further highlights the significance of balanced nutrient management over single-source fertilization.

References

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