Effect of Different Levels of Arka Microbial Consortium on Germination and Seedling Performance of Chilli (Capsicum annum L.) cv. Arka Saanvi

Chilli (Capsicum annum L.) is a valuable spice crop grown in India, highly sought after in both domestic and foreign markets because of its high amount of capsaicin and oleoresin. However, chilli production may face several challenges, including infections and poor seed germination, which can drastically lower the yield as well as the quality. In light of this, the current OFT (On Farm Testing) was undertaken by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Arniya-Srimadhopur, Sikar-II (SKNAU, Jobner- Jaipur) to investigate the impact of different levels of AMC (Arka Microbial Consortium) on germination and seedling performance of chilli (Capsicum annum L.) cv. Arka Saanvi. A randomized block design (RBD) was used for the experiment; with ten replications and four treatments viz.,T1- Farmers practices (control), T2- 2g AMC/kg coco peat, T3- 4g AMC/kg coco peat and T4- 6g AMC/kg coco peat. Observations on germination and growth parameters were recorded using standard methodology. The observed data were analyzed using OPSTAT software for statistical analysis. The findings indicated that seed treated with 6g AMC/kg coco peat gave highest germination percentage (84.40%), least days to seedling emergence (9.20 days), more stem diameter (1.18 mm), number of leaves (4.88), root length (6.88 cm), survival percent (92.30) in main field, and minimum days taken for transplanting in main field (35.20), while, the least values were recorded in farmers practices.