Jaydeep Panda, S. Parveen, S.K. Verma, Sushil Kumar Yadav and Praveen
Abstract
An experiment was conducted in the laboratory of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Horticulture and Forestry, ANDUAT University, Uttar Pradesh, to assess the impact of bioinoculants on early germination traits of Moringa oleifera L. The study was carried out to assess individual and combined applications of Azotobacter, Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), and seaweed extract on germination and growth of Moringa oleifera L. in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with eight treatment and three replications. Treatments included: control (T), Azotobacter (T), PSB (Pseudomonas fluorescens) (T), seaweed extract (T), Azotobacter + PSB (T), Azotobacter + seaweed extract (T), PSB + seaweed extract (T), and all three combined, i.e. Azotobacter + PSB + Seaweed Extract (T). Results showed that T significantly enhanced germination performance, including germination percentage, emergence rate, germination index, mean germination time, speed and rate of germination, mean daily germination, peak value, and germination value. T also led to marked improvement in seedling vigour and early development traits. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of integrating Azotobacter, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and seaweed extract to improve the germination and early growth of Moringa oleifera, offering a sustainable approach to nursery management.