Integrated Use of Phosphorus Biofertilizers and Fertilizers for Improving Soybean Productivity and Soil Health

Abstract

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is an important legume crop valued for its protein-rich seeds and economic significance. Ensuring sustainable nutrient management is crucial to maximizing yield while conserving soil fertility and health. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to study the integrated use of phosphorus biofertilizers, fertilizers and farmyard manure (FYM) for improving soybean productivity and soil health during Kharif season 2024–25 at Shri Vaishnav Institute of Agriculture, Indore (M.P.), using a randomized block design (RBD) with ten treatments and three replications. Treatments involved various combinations of 50% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), PSB, AMF, and FYM. Among all treatments, T10 (50% RDF + PSB + AMF + FYM) showed significant improvement in plant height, dry matter, number of leaves and branches, resulting in the higher seed (1.27 t ha⁻¹) and stover yield (1.87 t ha⁻¹). Maximum yield was under T2 (100% RDF) which was statistically at par with T10. Soil pH and EC remained unaffected, but organic carbon, available N and P improved under integrated treatments compared to sole application chemical fertilizers. Economic analysis revealed that T2 gave the highest gross return and B:C ratio at higher cost, T10 offered slightly lower gross return but higher net return, moderate cost, and good profitability, making it a sustainable and efficient alternative for soybean cultivation. Thus, integrated use of AMF, PSB, FYM with 50% RDF (T10) emerges as a sustainable option, enhancing crop performance and soil health while reducing chemical fertilizer dependency.