Improvement in Quality and Yield of Mungbean Through Combined Use of Crop-Specific Rhizobium and Physiological Precursors

Despite having a significant medicinal potential and the ability to produce nodules, mungbean production and quality not meet consumer need. Its production and quality can be improved in an economically and sustainably sound manner by auxin and cytokinin that are generated in the rhizosphere as a result of precursor-inoculum interaction. For this purpose, a field study was conducted at Soil Bacteriology Secrion, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute during 2020–21 to evaluate the influence of L‑tryptophan (L-TRP; an auxin precursor) and L‑Adenine (L-ADE; cytokinin precursor) along with rhizobium application on the yield and quality of mung bean. Results revealed that bacterial inoculation and precursor-inoculum interaction increased mung bean grain yield by 12% and 34% compared to control. Moreover, it was perceived that combined use of precursor (L-TRP) and inoculum significantly increased plant height (20%), number of nodules plant⁻¹ (69%), biomass yield (20%) followed by L‑ADE (with 18%, 25%, 69%, and 14% increase in plant height, grain yield, number of nodules plant⁻¹ and biomass yield, respectively) over control. Likewise, the interactive effect of rhizobia and physiological precursors improved mungbean quality with 55% and 17% increase in protein contents over sole application of rhizobium. Based on the results, it was concluded that precursor inoculum interactions in the rhizosphere uplifted mungbean production and improved its quality. Moreover, the approach of precursor inoculum interaction can be carried out in different climate for sustainable agriculture.