Impact of Inorganic Fertiliser, Organic Manure, and Azospirillium on Crop Nutrient Absorption and Agronomic Characteristics in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a key rabi cereal crop, but its productivity is often constrained by inadequate nutrient availability and declining soil fertility. Integrated nutrient management involving inorganic fertilisers, organic manures, and biofertilisers such as Azospirillium has been widely proposed as a sustainable approach to improve nutrient uptake, enhance agronomic performance, and maintain soil health. A field experiment was conducted in rabi season during 2024-25 and 2025-26 to study the “Effect of organic manure, Azospirillium and inorganic fertilizer on agronomic traits and nutrient uptake status of crop in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)” at Department of Agronomy, Shri Khusal Das University Hanumanghar Rajasthan. The experiment was laid out split plot design (Factorial) with comprised combinations of six fertility levels and four liquid bio inoculants. The findings show that barley's grain and straw had much greater N, P, and K contents. As a consequence, total absorption was recorded under the impact of 100% RDF ha-1 above the remaining fertility levels, although it remained comparable to 50% ha-1 RDF in both years. In comparison to inoculation of Azotobacter and PSB alone during the research, accumulated maximum N, P, and K content in grain and straw therefore total absorption was determined to be at par with inoculation of both of these treatments. Additionally, data showed that when 100% RDF was applied throughout the experiment, the maximum accessible N, P, and K content of the soil was recorded; this was much greater than when 50% RDF was applied.