Synergistic effect of biostimulants and nanoparticles on morphophysiological traits of garden pea (Pisum sativum var. hortense L.)

The present experiment was carried out to evaluate different treatment combinations of biofertilizers and nanoparticles on various horticultural and biochemical attributes of garden pea varieties at Vegetable Farm, Department of Horticulture, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, during the winter season of 2024–2025. The experiment followed a Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications and included two main factors: five garden pea varieties and ten treatment combinations of biofertilizers and nanoparticles. The study found significant results for most of the studied attributes. Based on the data analysis for various horticultural attributes and cost–benefit evaluation, the variety Him Palam Meethi Phali 2 performed the best in most traits, such as days to first flowering, plant height at 45 days, pod yield per plant, total pod yield, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, and chlorophyll content. Among the treatments, the best results were observed with the combination Rhizobium: Azotobacter: ZnNPs: FeNPs (75%: 50%:150 ppm:250 ppm), followed by Azotobacter: Rhizobium: FeNPs: ZnNPs (75%:50%:150 ppm:250 ppm), and Rhizobium: ZnNPs (75%:250 ppm). These treatments showed high values for most growth, yield, biochemical, and soil parameters. In comparison of interaction combinations, the applied concentration of Azotobacter: Rhizobium: FeNPs: ZnNPs (75%:50%:150 ppm:250 ppm), followed by Rhizobium: ZnNPs (75%:250 ppm), on the best-performing variety “Him Palam Meethi Phali-2 had significantly improved various attributes, i.e., germination, flowering, leaf area, plant height, pod size, number of pods per plant, seed weight, total pod yield per plant and quintal per hectare (27.28%), total soluble solids, protein, vitamin C, and chlorophyll content. Similarly, these combinations also performed well for increasing the nutrient content of the soil. Furthermore, these top two treatment-variety combinations also resulted in the highest income, net profit, and benefit–cost ratio, making them the most suitable for profitable garden pea cultivation.