Response of Black Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to Organic Fertilizers and Microbial Inoculant in an Intercropping System with ‘Magallanes’ Pummelo (Citrus maxima [Burm] Merr.) 

To maximize land use efficiency in the interspaces of ‘Magallanes’ pummelo (Citrus maxima [Burm] Merr.) while producing black beans, this study was conducted to evaluate the performance of black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) intercropped with ‘Magallanes’ pummelo applied with microbial inoculant and vermicompost. The different treatments used are T1- Bureau of Soils Recommendation (BSR) (Control); T2- no Fertilizer Application; T3- Microbial inoculant only; T4- Vermicompost (10t ha^-1); T5- Microbial inoculant + 75% Vermicompost; T6- Microbial inoculant + 50% Vermicompost; T7-Microbial inoculant + 25% Vermicompost, following the RCBD. Results indicated that black beans applied with microbial inoculant and vermicompost, intercropped with ‘Magallanes’ pummelo performed comparably on growth and yield. A significant increase in the chlorophyll index using an SPAD meter at the vegetative stage was observed.  Application of microbial inoculant and vermicompost enhances the growth of ‘Magallanes’ pummelo which indicates a beneficial interaction in the intercropping system. Maximizing the space between ‘Magallanes’ pummelo while at the young stage can be a smart way to effectively use land for black beans.

Keywords: Microbial inoculant; Vermicompost; Chlorophyll content; Intercropping.