Role of Bioinoculants for Improving Growth and Yield of Okra (Abelmoshuses culentum)

Abstract

Elevated use of agrochemicals has been the backbone of sustainable crop production. However, the environmental hazards, soaring cost and stagnant production are the foremost issues affiliated with them. Exploitation of stumpy cost and environment friendly plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) has certain encouraging results regarding sustainability in agricultural production. A glass house study was conducted at Soil Bacteriology Section, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad to check the efficacy of different PGPR for growth and yield of okra (Abelmoshuses culentum). Treatments were control, Azotobacter sp inoculation, Azospirillum sp inoculation, Bacillus sp inoculation, Pseudomonas sp inoculation and Rhizobium sp inoculation. Results revealed that there was significant effect of all inoculants on growth and yield of okra crop. An increase of 23.5% and 21.0% in green pod yield was recorded with Pseudomonas sp and Bacillus sp, respectively. Positive consequence was observed in all other parameters where Pseudomonas inoculation was applied as compared to no inoculation. This study suggests that PGPR may be a dynamic biofertilizer to boost the yield of okra and other agricultural crops.