Studies on the Effect of Seed Biopriming with MPKV Bacterial Consortium on Growth and Yield of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp)

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted during kharif-2024 at the College of Agriculture, Pune to study the effect of seed biopriming with the MPKV bacterial consortium on growth, nutrient uptake and yield of cowpea. The consortium, developed at Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, consists of beneficial strains that promote nitrogen fixation and enhance phosphorus solubilization, thereby improving nutrient availability in soil. Results indicated that seed biopriming with the MPKV bacterial consortium along with 75% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) was most effective. This treatment recorded significantly higher germination (95.43%), plant height (47.53 cm and 63.60 cm), root length (17.93 cm and 22.30 cm), and dry weight of shoot (6.09 g plant⁻¹ and 12.18 g plant⁻¹) dry weight of root (0.9g plant⁻¹ 2.63 g plant⁻¹) at flowering and harvest. It also improved yield attributes such as number of nodules (32.0 plant⁻¹), pods per plant (43.33), 1000-seed weight (132.60 g) and seed yield (11.92 q ha⁻¹). Moreover, higher uptake of N, P and K (90.07, 17.54 and 45.15 kg ha⁻¹) and greater microbial populations of Rhizobium, PSB and KMB were observed (33.33, 26.33 and 25.67 x 106cfu g-1 soil, respectively). Interestingly, the performance of consortium + 75% RDF was statistically at par with consortium + 100% RDF, demonstrating that 25% of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers can be saved without yield loss. Thus, seed biopriming with MPKV bacterial consortium represents a sustainable approach to enhance cowpea productivity, nutrient efficiency and soil microbial activity while reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers.