*2.4. Application of Microbial Inoculation and Fertilizers*

Two microbial consortia were applied in present study (*Anabaena* sp. (CR1) + *Providencia* sp. (PR3) consortia (MC1) and *Anabaena-Pseudomonas* biofilmed formulations (MC1)) [37,38]. For application of microbial consortia, a thick paste of respective culture was made in carboxyl methyl cellulose and applied to rice seedlings in PTR and SRI by dipping roots in paste of respective culture for half an hour before transplanting. In ARS, pre-soaked seeds were treated with thick paste of culture made in carboxyl methyl cellulose half an hour before sowing. In wheat, thick paste of respective culture was made in carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) and seeds were treated with this thick paste in all CEMs for half an hour just before sowing. For application of N, P and K chemical fertilizers, urea, single super phosphate and muriate of potash were used, while zinc sulphate heptahydrate was used for supply of Zn. Among nutrients, P, K and Zn were applied at the time of sowing and N was split, applied in both rice and wheat (Tables 1 and 2).
