Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology

Aims: This study investigates the effect of phosphorus and biofertilizer management on growth and yield of irrigated blackgram.

Study Design and Methodology: The treatment was imposed in randomised block design (RBD) with 12 treatments and 3 replications.

Place and Duration of study: The study took place in Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The research was conducted from January - April 2025. VBN-8 variety was chosen for the experiment.

Results: The results of the experiment revealed that among various treatments involved, 60 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1 + seed treatment and soil application of PSB + AM fungi (T₁₂) recorded the highest values of plant height of 50.79 cm, LAI of 4.29, effective root nodules of 44.76, number of branches plant^-1 of 9.78 and dry matter production of 2197 kg ha^-1, seed yield of 1026 kg ha^-1 and haulm yield of 1449 kg ha^-1. The application of 40 kg P₂O₅ with seed treatment and soil application of PSB and AM fungi (T₁₁) recorded the highest B:C ratio of 2.63 with gross income of Rs. 87,943 and net returns of Rs. 54,559 ha^-1.

Conclusion: The application of 60 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1 along with seed treatment and soil application of PSB and AM fungi (T₁₂) recorded the highest values across most parameters, including growth traits, yield attributes and both seed and haulm yield of blackgram. In terms of economics, application of 40 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1 + seed treatment and soil application of PSB and AM fungi (T₁₁) recorded highest benefit cost ratio. Based on the above experimental results, it may be concluded that the application of P₂O₅ @ 40 kg ha^-1 along with seed treatment and soil application of PSB and AM fungi (T₁₁) is an effective practice for yield maximization in irrigated blackgram.