Influence of phosphorus fertilization on mung bean growth, yield, and soil physico-chemical attributes in inceptisols

Phosphorus (P) fractions play a critical role in the soil P cycle, especially in P-deficient soils, by determining the availability of phosphorus to plants and influencing the balance between P inputs, transformations, and losses. A randomized field trial was conducted with 13 treatments, including a control in two depths of soil (0-15 cm and 15-30 cm) for two consecutive years, Kharif seasons during June to December of 2022-2023. Application of phosphatic fertilizers significantly improved the following soil parameters; percentage pore space, water holding capacity, pH, organic carbon, and nutrient availability. The phosphorus availability increased up to 52 kg/ha in the 0–15 cm depth, while nitrogen availability was maximum at 290 kg/ha for treatments with higher application of phosphorus. Organic carbon content improved from 0.29% (control) to 0.45% with the application of higher phosphorus and rock phosphate combinations. The highest grain output was obtained with the treatment of triple super phosphate (TSP) and rock phosphate (RP) T12, which recorded 65.75 pods per plant and 2325.7 kg per hectare, thus indicating the beneficial effect of high levels of phosphorus application on total yield. Stover yield also increased significantly in the phosphorus-rich treatments, reaching a maximum of 3001.5 kg per hectare in T12. These results thus show that TSP combined with rock phosphate may easily increase the fertility of soil, enhance nutrient availability, and rise in crop yield and therefore is one of the promising ways to improve agricultural effectiveness under phosphorus-deficient conditions.