Use of organic fertilizers with microbes for improving maize growth, physiology and soil properties

Integrated nutrient management is a promising way to avoid plant nutrient shortages because of the positive relationship between the bioavailability of nutrients and greater economic interest in their application through organic amendments and microbial application. To examine how compost, charcoal, and rhizobium influence maize development, an experiment was set up in a container. In addition to the appropriate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, the soil in the allotted pots was treated with 50 ml of rhizobium, 5 tonnes of compost, and 2.5 tonnes of biochar before maize seeds were planted. A total of nine treatments (with three replicates each) were arranged in a completely randomized design for this experiment. Various agronomic, chemical, and physiological data were measured and recorded after the crop was harvested 110 days after sowing. The results showed that when biochar, compost, and rhizobium were applied together, the root fresh biomass rose by 43.4%, the root dry biomass increased by 38.3%, and the shoot length increased by 61.7%, compared to the control treatment. Chlorophyll content (41.3% higher), photosynthetic rate (58.5% higher), transpiration rate (64.4% higher), quantum yield (32.6% higher), and stomatal conductivity (25.3% higher) were all significantly improved compared to the control. Soil levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were also improved with this treatment compared to the control. The combined use of biochar, compost, and rhizobium was more successful than any of the components used individually in boosting maize yields. Based on the findings of our study, the integration of rhizobium, biochar, and compost within a unified treatment shown a substantial enhancement in both the growth and yield of maize.