Response of growth and yield of maize to biofertilizers in organic and conventional cropping systems

ABSTRACT: Organic cropping system often has to deal with a scarcity of readily available nutrients, and this is in contrast to high input cropping system which relies on soluble fertilizers. The present study was conducted to ascertain the effects of different cropping systems, biofertilizers and combination of its in maze cultivation. The field experiment was conducted in Research Farm of College of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Pars Abad Moghan Branch during 2012 to study the response of maize to biofertilizers in organic and conventional cropping systems. The cropping systems, including low, medium and high input and also an organic system were allocated to the main plots, and four inoculation treatments including application of mycorrhiza (Glomus intraradices), bacteria (Azotobacter chorococum and Azospirillum lipoferum), a combination of fmycorrhiza plus two bacteria, plus a control (no inoculation) were allocated to the subplots. The combinations of mycorrhiza and bacteria with organic cropping system resulted in the highest increased growth and yield attributing characters of maize and increased seed yield of maize over the control by 20%. The results of this study show that high input cropping system was the most productive treatment but organic cropping system with biofertilizers was the most economical treatment with respect to increasing net profit. The present study indicates that a combination mycorrhiza and bacteria holds promise for the organic cropping system of maize. Therefore in organic and low input cropping systems, a combination of mycorrhiza and free-living bacteria performed satisfactorily.