Impact of a liquid consortium of plant growth-promoting bacteria on biometrics and yield attributes in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Sesame is an important oilseed crop with great commercial and medicinal value and is used extensively in culinary and cosmetic applications. Meeting the demand for sesame requires the development cultivars with high yield and balanced nutrition. The introduction of bioinoculants into the crop rhizosphere is beneficial for sustaining both productivity and soil health and the co-application of inorganic nutrients and bioinoculants in the crop rhizosphere increases sesame production. Therefore, a study has been done to evaluate the effect of individual bioinoculant and liquid consortium on different parameters of sesame (var. TMV-7). Three year field experiments was conducted (2019 to 2022) at the Oilseed Research Station (TNAU), Tindivanam, Villupuram district (India). The trial was composed of nine treatments comprising individual inoculant and a consortium of Azospirillum, Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum, Paenibacillus mucilaginosus (KRB-9) and pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) and their combination with 100% NPK as recommended dose of fertilizer, 2% KCl and PPFM spray individually and in combination. Their synergistic effects on bacterization were studied using a randomized block design with three replications, in sesame grown under rainfed conditions with zero irrigation. The results indicated that applcation of a bioinoculant consortium in combination with inorganic fertilizers, PPFM and KCl spray, resulted in the highest biomass production, biometrics, physiological parameters, grain yield and seed quality and tuned the cost-benefit ratio to 2.39.