XVI International Botanical Congess

Bhendi is an important vegetable crop grown in the fields and most kitchen gardens in India. Its performance with Azospirillum brasilense was investigated in field trials carried out with 50% and 100% N fertilizers along with suitable controls. Azospirillum inoculum was applied on the seeds and on the soil. At all the N levels the biofertilizer enhanced the growth characteristic (plant height, leaf number and length), chlorophyll and protein contents, nitrate reductase activity and yield attributes (number and length of the capsules, and grain output). The performance of the plants with Azospirillum at 50% N was found to be equal to the plants grown at 100% N. This trend suggests that at least 50% of the N fertilizer could be saved in the cultivation of Bhendi, if inoculated with Azopirillum. And equally important, the long-term environmental hazard due to extensive use of the chemical fertilizer could be prevented. This technology could be applied profitably for N saving as well as yield increase in the Bhendi growing vegetable tracts of India.