IMPACTS OF BIOENHANCER (TRICHODERMA HARZIANUM) ON ZEA MAYS PLANTS UNDER REDUCED FERTILIZATION

There are no definite p fertilizer reduction guidelines for maize growers using beneficial microbes, resulting in economic and environmental problems. It was found that this field study was able to determine the possibility of growth of maize at low phosphorus application level and identify the most appropriate fertilization strategy in the presence of Trichoderma harzianum (Biofit) and the ability to maintain the maize growth under reduced application of phosphorus. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design with seven treatments and three replications for hybrid CS220 at Tarnab farm, Peshawar, Pakistan during 2023 kharif season. The treatments were the association of 6.17 g of Trichoderma harzianum with phosphorus (25–100% of recommended) and nitrogen (25–100% of recommended). The results revealed that plants responded to nutrients depending on the stage, with T7 (25% P, 100% N) producing the tallest plants (14.41%), T4 (100% P, 25% N) the highest number of plants per plot (14.63%), greatest grain weight and grain number. This divergent response is due to the different nutrient requirements of vegetative growth and establishment/grain filling, respectively, for nitrogen and phosphorus. In particular, the phosphorus treatments of 50–75% performed the same as the 100% phosphorus in most parameters, suggesting that T. harzianum is effective in improving the use of phosphorus through the solubilization of native soil phosphorus. Soil analysis after harvest showed neutral soil but very low residual phosphorus, meaning that crop uptake was high. According to overall yield parameters, T4 (100% P, 25% N + Trichoderma harzianum) is recommended for maximum grain yield whereas T7 (25% P, 100% N + Trichoderma harzianum) can be applied for vegetative growth. The results indicate that Trichoderma harzianum provides for moderate reduction in phosphorus (50–75%) without any significant loss in yield, providing a viable option for the farmers to reduce the input cost while maintaining productivity. The use of Trichoderma harzianum as a bioenhancer in sustainable agriculture to improve the phosphorus use efficiency in maize production.