Effect of Biofertilizers and Sulphur on Growth, Yield, and Oil Content of Hybrid Sunflower (Helianthus annuus. L) In a Typical Lateritic Soil

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted in a typical lateritic soil, during the rabi season of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 at Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati University, Sriniketan, India, to find out the effect of biofertilizers and sulphur on growth, yield, and oil content of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The experiment was laid out in factorial RBD with three types of biofertilizers, viz. Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB)+Azotobacter, Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (VAM)+Azotobacter and Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria+Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae+Azotobacter, and four levels of sulphur (S0, S20, S40 and S60 kg ha-1). The crop was fertilized with respective dose of NPK of 80:100:100 kg ha-1. Results revealed that inoculation of biofertilizers significantly affected plant height and total chlorophyll content. Biofertilizers also significantly increased yield attributes, viz. thalamus diameter, weight of thalamus, filled seeds capitulum-1, and 100 seed weight (g), as well as seed and biological yield and oil content. The combined inoculation of PSB+VAM+Azotobacter recorded higher values of these parameters, as compared to PSB+Azotobacter and VAM+Azotobacter inoculation. Application of sulphur @40 kg ha-1 significantly improved plant height and total chlorophyll content, as well as yield attributes, yield, and oil content, as compared to other levels of sulphur application. PSB+VAM+Azotobacter, as well as application of sulphur @40 kg ha-1, was found to be the best treatment for hybrid sunflower.