Direct and Residual Effect of Vermicompost, Biofertilizers and Phosphorus on Soil Nutrient Dynamics and Productivity of Chickpea-Fodder Maize Sequence

Field experiments were carried out at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. The principal findings revealed that application of 3t vermicompost/ha to chickpea improved dry matter accumulation, grain yield and grain protein content in chickpea, soil N and P and bacterial count, dry fodder yield of succeeding maize, total N and P uptake by the cropping system over no vermicompost. Seed inoculation of chickpea with Rhizobium + PSB (phosphate solubilizing bacteria) increased dry matter accumulation, grain yield and protein content of chickpea, dry fodder yield of succeeding maize and total N and P uptake by the cropping system over no inoculation and inoculation with Rhizobium alone. Rhizobium with and without PSB also increased soil N content over no inoculation. However, soil P content and bacterial count remained unaffected by Rhizobium alone but improved with Rhizobium + PSB over no inoculation. Application of phosphorus up to 26 kg P/ha to chickpea improved dry matter accumulation, grain yield and protein content of chickpea, dry fodder yield of succeeding maize and total N and P uptake by cropping system. Application of 13 and 26 kg P/ha increased soil N and P content over no phosphorus.