Abstract
A field study was conducted during the Rabi-Summer seasons of 2023-24 and 2024-25 at Fodder Farm Section, ICAR-IVRI, to assess the impact of bio-stimulants based crop nutrient management on berseem-pearl millet (fodder-food) cropping system on alluvial soils of IGP of western India. The treatments tests were framed with inclusion of three major plant bio-stimulants [plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM), and seaweed extract (SWE)] with four levels of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) (0, 50, 75 and 100%) as T(1)-Absolute control, T(2)-PGPR + VAM, T(3)-PGPR + VAM + 50% RDF, T(4)-PGPR + VAM + 75% RDF, T(5)-PGPR + VAM + 3 sprays of SWE, T(6)-PGPR + VAM + 50% RDF + 2 sprays of SWE, T(7)-PGPR + VAM + 75% RDF + 1 sprays of SWE, T(8)-100% RDF, T(9)-PGPR + VAM + 100% RDF and T(10)-PGPR + VAM + 100% RDF + 1 sprays of SWE. The treatments were tested adopting RBD with five replications. The experimental findings revealed that the inclusion of plant bio-stimulants in conventional nutrient management, i.e., treatment T(9) and T(10), significantly enhanced the system productivity in terms of green fodder yields, dry fodder yields and system equivalent yields. Also, the same treatments registered significantly improved bio-energy efficiency in terms of energy output, energy productivity and profitability. Economic feasibility assessment further revealed that T(9) and T(10) are statistically at par with respect to system gross returns, net returns and B:C ratio. The results solidify the agronomic and economic argument for using bio-stimulants to meet future fodder and food needs, energy security, and sustainability of intensive fodder-based food systems in India.