Productivity and energetics of forage pearl millet as influenced by liquid microbial inoculants

In the present study, an appraisal of liquid microbial inoculants on the productivity and energetics of forage pearl millet was carried out. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design consisting of 12 treatment combinations of liquid microbial inoculants (Azotobacter sp., Sphingobacterium sp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Burkholderia seminalis) along with a 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) and replicated thrice. It was observed that treatment T9: RDF + B. seminalis + S. maltophilia showed maximum growth and yield attributing traits. An increase of 11.54% in green fodder yield and 8.94% in dry matter yield was recorded with the application of T9 over T1: RDF (control). Further, the inoculated plants were also higher in terms of energy use efficiency, energy productivity, output energy, and net energy.