Comparative Efficiency of Bio- and Chemical Fertilizers on Nutrient Contents and Biomass Yield in Medicinal Plant Stevia rebaudiana Bert.

Abstract

A green house experiment was conducted at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Hessaraghatta, Bangalore,India to study the comparative effect of agro-techniques on biomass yield and nutrient content in stevia by applied chemical fertilizers (N, P and K as sole and in combinations) and bio-fertilizers (Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza, Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria and Azospirillum as sole and in combinations) and the results showed that the biomass yield as well as nutrient content in stevia have been recorded an increase significantly due to inorganic chemical and biofertilizer applications. The magnitude of such
increase in biomass yield and nutrient content was recorded significantly higher with the application of biofertilizer, being further greater increase with combined applications of VAM, PSB and Azospirillum. The increase of biomass yield was 10.80 and 53.20 % higher with the combined applications of VAM+PSB+Azospirillum over that of PSB+VAM and chemical fertilizers (N, P andK), respectively.