Effect of tillage and biofertilizers inoculations onphysiological growth indices, productivity and profitability of faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

A field study was conducted at the research farm ofMAP section, Genetics and Plant Breeding (G&PB), CCSHAU, Hisar during Rabi 2019-20 to evaluate the growth, productivity and economic viability of faba bean under different tillage practices and biofertilizer inoculations. The experiment followed a factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with 3replications comprising of two types of tillage practices: Zero Tillage (ZT) and Conventional Tillage (CT), along with 8 different combinations of biofertilizer inoculation consisting of Rhizobium spp., Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (VAM) and Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB). Conducting the study posed challenges such as managing variability in soil properties under different tillage systems and ensuring uniform establishment of biofertilizer inoculants in the field conditions.The results showed that seed yield (kg/ha) and straw yield (kg/ha) under ZT(3286, 4839) weresignificantly higher than CT (2672, 3931), respectively by 23% approximately. Similarly, all the yield attributes viz., seeds per pod, pods/plant and pod length (cm),except 100-seed weight, were significantly improved under ZT over CT. The highest value for yield and yield attributes wasrecorded with the seed inoculation treatment of Rhizobium spp. + PSB + VAM and was at par with Rhizobium spp. + VAM. The cost of cultivation using the zero-tillage method was lower (₹26,185/ha) than the conventional tillage (₹32,795/ha), resulting in a cost reduction of ₹6,610/ha. Additionally, the ZT generated higher net returns (₹39,542/ha),gross returns (₹65,728/ha) and benefit-cost ratio (2.51) compared to CT (₹20,652/ha,₹53,448/ha and 1.63, respectively), representing an increase of ₹12,280/ha, ₹18,890/ha, and 0.88, respectively. The Rhizobium spp. + PSB + VAM combination produced the highestnet returns (₹38,643/ha),gross returns (₹68,433/ha), and benefit-cost ratio (2.35), which were higher than the control by ₹15,877/ha,₹16,476/ha, and 0.53, respectively.Overall, this study contributes valuable evidence on the superiority of zero tillage in enhancing the productivity and profitability of faba bean, while also highlighting the synergistic effect of multiple biofertilizer inoculations. These findings can guide sustainable crop management practices, reduce cultivation costs, and promote resource-efficient agriculture in pulse-based cropping systems.