Productivity Enhancement of Few Multipurpose Tree Species Using Biofertilizers

Abstract

An experiment was conducted by inoculating Frankia, Rhizobium and Azospirillum either singly or in combination with VAM fungus Glomus fasiculatum to Casuarina equisetifolia, Acacia nilotica and Eucalyptus tereticomis, respectively. Control was maintained for all the species by non-inoculation of biofertilizers. The response of biofertilizer application revealed that all biofertilizer treatments showed higher growth rate over control in all the species tested. However, the highest biomass of 11.59 gm, 6.03 gm and 8.47 gm per seedling were recorded respectively in Casuarina equisetifolia, Acacia nilotica and Eucalyptus tereticomis over control, when they were co-inoculated with Frankia + VAM, Rhizobium + VAM and Azospirillum + VAM, respectively. Indeed, it is interesting to note that single inoculation of biofertilizers brought about little biomass improvement than their combined inoculation with VAM in all the species tested. In nodulating nitrogen fixing species like Casuarina equisetifolia and Acacia nilotica the combined inoculation effected higher nodule weight 0.85 gm (Casuarina) and 122.69 gm (Acacia), when compared to control.