Vol. 12, Issue 9 (2023)

Author(s):
C Sreenivasa Reddy, V Vijaya Bhaskar, M Tagore Naik, K Naga Madhuri, K Subramanyam and G Fareeda

Abstract:
The present investigation was carried out at the Horticultural Research Station, Mahanandi, Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University during the summer season of 2021 and 2022. The experiment was carried out with three factors and two replications in a randomized block design with factorial concept to study their individual and combined influences on the exchangeable Ca and Mg contents of soil after harvest of flowers in marigold. Among the individual treatments, soil application of biochar @ 10 t ha^-1, humic acid @ 4 kg ha^-1 and Azospirillum @ 5 kg ha^-1 in combination with PSB @ 5 kg ha^-1 and Bacillus spp. @ 5 kg ha^-1 recorded significantly highest exchangeable Ca and Mg contents of soil after harvest of flowers during 2021, 2022 and the pooled data mean. Among the two combination treatments, soil application of graded levels of biochar and humic acid, biochar and different microbial consortia, humic acid levels and different microbial consortia recorded significantly highest exchangeable Ca content of soil after harvest of flowers during 2021, 2022 and the pooled data mean, whereas the data were found non-significant with regard to exchangeable Mg content of soil during both the years of study as well as in the pooled data mean. Non-significant differences were noticed among the interaction effects of soil application of graded levels of biochar, humic acid and different microbial consortia with regard to exchangeable Ca and Mg contents of soil during both the years of study as well as in the pooled data mean.