Tripti Mishra, Alok Kumar Pandey, Mahendra Singh Robin Kumar, Anjaly Yadav, Anand Kumar Diwakar and Vikas Yadav
Abstract
A field experiment was carried out during the rabi season of 2024â25 at the Biofertilizers and Biopesticides Production Unit, College of Agriculture, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.), to evaluate the impact of halophytic bacterial isolates applied individually and in combination with inorganic fertilizers on soil physico-chemical properties. The study comprised ten treatments arranged in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications using wheat as the test crop. The treatments included: TâControl; Tâ100% RDF (120:60:40 kg N:P:K ha-¹); Tâ100% RDF + Klebsiella variicola ND15 @ 10 ml kg-¹ seed; Tâ100% RDF + Bacillus licheniformis strain ND17 @ 10 ml kg-¹ seed; Tâ100% RDF + Priestia flexa ND16 @ 10 ml kg-¹ seed; Tâ75% RDF + Klebsiella variicola ND15 @ 10 ml kg-¹ seed; Tâ75% RDF + Bacillus licheniformis strain ND17 @ 10 ml kg{¹ seed; Tâ75% RDF + Priestia flexa ND16 @ 10 ml kg-¹ seed; Tâ100% RDF + consortia (Bacillus licheniformis ND17 + Priestia flexa ND16 + Klebsiella variicola ND15) @ 10 ml kg-¹ seed; and Tâ75% RDF + the same bacterial consortia @ 10 ml kg-¹ seed. The results indicated that treatment T (75% RDF + consortia) produced significantly higher grain yield compared to T, T, T, T, T, T, and T. However, it was statistically at par (P ? 0.05) with T and T. Soil pH was not significantly influenced by the treatments. In contrast, T and T were more effective in reducing soil electrical conductivity (EC). These treatments also enhanced soil organic carbon (OC) and available N, P, and K status after harvest. Overall, the application of T proved effective in improving soil health parameters and wheat grain yield.