Effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria on rain-fed chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) /dragon's head (Lallemantia iberica) intercropping

Intercropping and biofertilizers are the effective components of sustainable agriculture that improve the yield quality and quantity of the plants. A two-year factorial field experiment was conducted to find out the effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on yield, yield components and some physiological aspects of intercropping of rain-fed chickpea and dragon's head. The first factor included five intercropping patterns that were sole cropping chickpea (۳۰ and ۴۰ plant m-۲), dragon's head (۱۶۰ plant m-۲) and additive intercropping of both plants. The second factor was the use and non-use of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus lentus and Pseudomonas putida). The results indicated that sole cropping of ۳۰ plants m-۲ of chickpea and ۱۶۰ plants m-۲ of dragon's head had the maximum of ۱۰۰۰-seed weight, seed yield, biological yield and harvest index with PSB inoculation. In both plants, the highest leaf nitrogen (۲.۹۷ and ۲.۷۶%), total soluble carbohydrates (۱.۱۲ and ۱.۴۷ mg g-۱ fresh leaf) and chlorophyll (۳.۴۲ and ۲.۹۴ mg g-۱ fresh leaf) obtained from intercropping of dragon's head+۳۰ plant m-۲ of chickpea inoculated with PSB. The maximum values of LER (>۱) for PSB-inoculated (۱.۷۲) and non- PSB (۱.۶۶) were observed in dragon's head +۳۰ plant m-۲ of chickpea intercropping of. In general, intercropping of dragon's head-chickpea increased yield and yield components resulted in higher land use efficiency.

Keywords:

Chlorophyll , Harvest index , Land equivalent ratio , Plant Nutrients , Proline , Chlorophyll , Harvest index , Land equivalent ratio , Plant Nutrients , Proline