EFFICIENT USE OF INORGANIC AND BIOFERTIUZERS ON PRODUCTIVITY, NUTRITIVE VALUE AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE OF RAINFED SORGHUM (SORGHUM BICOLOR L. MOENCH) IN A VERTISOL

A field experiment under minfed condition was conducted during 2002–2003 to find out the optimum number of splits, productivity of rainfed sorghum, extent of fertilizer saving, nutrient uptake and to study the effect of fertilizers through splits on nutritive value of sorghum. The significantly highest grain yield of sorghum (40.18q ha−1) was recorded in treatment with application of 60:30:30 kg NPK ha−1 + FYM @ 5 t ha−1 and use of Azospirillum and PSB. The 60 kg nitrogen through urea was applied in three split doses viz., 20 kg N at 10 DAS, 20 kg N at 30 DAS and 20 kg N at 45 DAS i.e. 17.00 per cent increase in grain yield of sotgiaun over control treatment (34.34 q ha−1) consisting 80:40:40 kg NPK ha−1 with two splits of N. The highest nutritive value of protein, fat, starch and mineral matter and total uptake of N, P and K were found in treatment with 60:30:30 kg NPK ha−1 + FYM @ 5 t ha−1 and use of Azospirillum and PSB.