Effect of Seed Treatment with Bioinoculants on Seed Yield and Quality Parameters in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The field experiment, was conducted during Rabi 2022 at the field experimental center, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, SHUATS, Prayagraj, (U.P). The soil of the experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.1), low in organic carbon (0.36%), available N (171.48 kg/ha), available P (15.2 kg/ha) and available K (232.5 kg/ha). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with thirteen treatments including control which were replicated thrice. The treatments are as follows, T0- Control, T1 - Bacillus subtilis – 20 g/kg seeds, T2 – Rhizobium – 20 g/kg seeds, T3 – P.S.B – 20 g/kg seed, T4 - T. harzianum – 20 g/kg seed, T5 - T. viridae – 20 g/kg seed, T6 – B. subtilis + Rhizobium – (10 g + 10 g/kg seed), T7 - Rhizobium + P.S.B – (10 g + 10 g/kg seed), T8 - P.S.B + T. harzianum – (10 g + 10 g/kg seed), T9 – T. harzianum + T. viridae – (10 g + 10 g/kg seed), T10 - T. viridae + B. subtilis – (10 g + 10 g/kg seed), T11 - B. subtilis + Rhizobium + P.S.B – (10 g + 10 g+10 g/kg seed), T12 - P.S.B + T. harzianum + T, viridae – (10 g + 10 g+10 g/kg seed) respectively. The experiment results revealed that seeds treated with T7 – Rhizobium + P.S.B – 10 g + 10 g gave better than other treatments viz, days for 50% flowering (60.00), Days to 50% pod setting (75.00) and has matured earlier (99.00), Plant height (74.90 cm), number of pods per plant (52.33), number of seeds per pod (3.00), Seed yield per plot (522.80 g), Biological yield per plot (613.58), Seed index (32.24 gm). Were recorded significantly higher compared to other treatments.