Effect of inorganic and bio-fertilizers on productivity and nutrients uptake in cowpea [Vigna Unguiculata (L.) Walp]

A field experiment was conducted during kharif, 2006 at Jobner (Rajasthan). The soil was loamy sand, having 8.1 pH, 1.20 dSm-1 electrical conductivity, 0.13% organic carbon, 130.2 kg ha-1 available nitrogen, 16.5 ha-1 available phosphorus and 151.9 kg ha-1 available potassium. The application of 75 % of recommended dose of fertilizer i.e. 15 kg N and 30 kg P2O5 ha-1 along with seed inoculation by Rhizobium + PSB proved significantly superior over rest of treatment combinations and provided significantly higher pods per plant (8.23 ), seeds per pod (7.83 ), seed yield (8.85qha-1), straw yield (19.20q ha-1), nitrogen uptake (68.78kg ha-1), phosphorus uptake (8.85kg ha-1) and protein content (25.56 %) and increase in these characters was by 27.99, 27.94, 20.08, 22.06, 41.99, 42.37 & 16.71 % respectively over the control. Similarly, in seed inoculation combined i.e. Rhizobium + PSB treatment provided significantly higher pods per plant (8.52), seeds per pod (8.11), seed yield (9.20q ha-1), straw yield (20.12q ha-1), nitrogen uptake (75.29 kg ha-1), phosphorus uptake (9.32 kg/ha) and protein content (26.81 %) over rest of the treatments. The increase in their parameters was to the tune of 28.70, 28.93, 24.32, 23.51, 59.78, 37.46 & 32.85 % respectively over control.