Vol. 9, Special Issue 1 (2021)

Global awareness of human & soil health and environmental issues has attracted the vegetable growers to adopt alternate farm practices. Therefore, an experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Farm, Faculty of Agricultural Science & Allied Industries, Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur (U.P.) during Rabi, 2019-2020. The test crop chilli (var. Anlita N.S-015) received 7 different treatments namely; absolute control (T0), 100% RDF of NPK (T1), 100% RDF of NPK + Azospirillum (T2), 100% RDF of NPK + PSB (T3), 50% RDF of NPK + Azospirillum + PSB (T4), 50% RDF of N + 100% RDF of PK + Azospirillum + PSB (T5), 50% RDF of P + 100% RDF of NK + Azospirillum + PSB (T6). Each treatment was replicated three times and imposed over a statistically laid out field in randomized block design (RBD) at a plot size of 3m × 3m with 3 replications and total no. of plots 21. Ankita N.S-015 variety of chilli was transplanted at a spacing of 60cm x 30cm. Results revealed that the treatment T2 (100% RDF of NPK + Azospirillum) recorded maximum values for plant height (74.250 cm), number of primary brunches (8.100), number of secondary brunches (8.090), Number of Tertiary branches (5.480), Days to Anthesis (45.450), Days to Flowering (54.600). The maximum uptake of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and potassium was also observed in treatment T2 followed by T3 and T1. The results indicated that soil test based recommended dose of fertilizer (50%) combined with Azospirillum + PSB was the best treatment for getting higher yield and return from.