Influence of Biofertilizers on Macronutrient uptake by the Mulberry Plant and its Impact on Silkworm Bioassay

Abstract

The co-inoculation of mulberry with phosphate solubilizing micro-organisms, nitrogen fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhiza has influenced its macronutrient uptake through leaf. The data revealed that maximum nitrogen (484.12 kg /ha) , phosphorus (59.83 kg /ha) and potassium (244.61 kg/ha) uptake through leaf has taken place due to co-inoculation treatments as compared to the un inoculated treatments irrespective of different levels and sources of fertilizer. Significantly higher effective rate of rearing (ERR, 95.33%), single cocoon weight (2.06 g) and single shell weight (0.44 g) were recorded by feeding silkworm with the leaves harvested from the treatment T8 receiving 175 kg nitrogen and 70 kg phosphorus/ha/yr with rock phosphate as a source of phosphorus and co-inoculated with beneficial micro-organisms. Maximum filament length of 936.33 meter per cocoon and reel ability of (86%) was also recorded in the treatment T8.

Keywords

• Bioassay
• Macronutrients
• Mulberry
• Biofertilisers