Effect of Microbial Enriched Biochar with Fertilizer Doses on Soil Properties and Yield under Soybean (Glycine max) –Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Cropping Sequence

Aims: To find out the Effect of different levels of microbial enriched biochar with fertilizer doses on soil properties and yield under Soybean (Glycine max) –Wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping sequence.

Study Design: Randomized Block Design (RBD).

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at BAIF-Central Research Station, Urulikanchan, Ta. Haveli, Dist. Pune Maharashtra, India, during July 2021 to April 2022.

Methodology: The charcoal powder is treated with the different bio fertilizers viz. Rhizobium, Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), and Trichoderma. The farmyard manure at the rate of 10 tons per ha was mixed equally in all the treatments.The reduced recommended dose of chemical fertilizers in Soybean and wheat was 50% and 75%, where the microbial enriched biochar was applied to the soil at the rate of 5, 7.5, 10, and 15 tha-1 (Table-1). In the Kharif, the var. JS 335 (Soybean) and in the Rabi season, Wheat (var. Ankur Kedar) was sown in the same field. The charcoal was prepared and this wet microbial-enriched Biochar was used as per the treatment combinations in both the crops (Table 1).

Results: In Soybean crop all the growth parameters recorded highest readings and also a higher grain yield (25.89 qha-1) and straw yield (27.49 qha-1) and in Wheat all the growth parameters recorded highest readings and also higher grain yield of (43.19 qha-1) and straw yield of (45.78 qha-1) was recorded (Table 2 & 4) in treatment T3 (Biochar @ 7.5 t ha-1 + 75 % GRDF) and it is at par with GRDF.

Conclusion: It is concluded that in (T3) the application of microbial-enriched Biochar @ 7.5 t ha-1 + 75 % GRDF has given significantly higher grain yield (Soybean: 25.89 qha-1 and Wheat: 43.19 qha-1) and straw yield (Soybean: 27.49 qha-1 and wheat: 45.78 qha-1) over the GRDF in both Soybean and Wheat cropping sequence.