Potential Application of Soil Probiotics for Sustainable Soil Health and Improved Peanut Yield

Conventional agricultural practices and a rapidly growing population have both contributed to an increase in interest in cutting-edge research on environmental friendly farming methods. A field experiment to investigate the potential of soil probiotics on soil and plant health is under process at IOT Smart Research Farm, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi from 22 June till mid October 2022. The plots contain four different treatments (Control, Full dose NPK, Probiotics only and ½ NPK+ Probiotics) on peanut crop. Probiotics (Actinomycetes sp. & Mycobacterium neoaurum) were applied through seed coating. Treatments were triplicated in a randomized complete block design. Different plant physiological characteristics (height, canopy, no of leaves, leaf area index, chlorophyll content, and normalized difference vegetation index) and soil properties (pH, Ec, moisture, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) are under investigation. For different plant parameters different novel devices are being used, such as leaf area index meters to find the index area, and chlorophyll meters for chlorophyll content, whereas for soil parameters proximal sensors are being used. The findings of the trial up till now show the best results in ½ NPK+ probiotics followed by probiotics, full-dose NPK and control which are encouraging, indicating enhanced crop productivity and improved soil health. This study will provide a way out for increased peanut production in an environmental friendly manner for farmers.