Effect of liquid consortium of Azotobacter, phosphate solubilizing bacteria and potassium mobilizing bacteria on growth and yield of custard apple (Annona squamosa L.) var. Phule Purandar

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif Bahar 2024 at the All India Coordinated Research Project on Arid Zone Fruits (Fig and Custard Apple), Jadhavwadi, Pune, with laboratory analyses conducted at the Division of Plant Pathology and Agricultural Microbiology and the Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Pune. to study the impact of a liquid consortium containing Azotobacter, Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), and Potassium Mobilizing Bacteria (KMB), integrated with varying levels of recommended fertilizer dose (RDF), on growth and yield of custard apple (Annona squamosa L.) var. Phule Purandar. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with ten treatments and three replications. The results revealed that the combined application of RDF with the liquid consortium significantly enhanced vegetative growth, yield attributes, fruit quality, and soil microbial activity as compared to RDF or biofertilizer application alone. Notably, the treatment with 100% RDF + consortium at 20 ml per plant recorded the highest growth and yield, while 75% RDF + consortium produced comparable yield with improved benefit-cost ratio, highlighting its superiority as a sustainable and economically viable practice. This study establishes the efficacy of biofertilizer consortia in improving growth, productivity, and profitability of custard apple cultivation.