Synergistic effects of nitrogen fertilization, irrigation regimes, and soil microbial health on pomegranate growth and quality

Synergistic effects of nitrogen fertilization, irrigation regimes, and soil microbial health on pomegranate growth and quality | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Synergistic effects of nitrogen fertilization, irrigation regimes, and soil microbial health on pomegranate growth and quality Lokesh Kumar, R. L. Bhardwaj, S. K. Moond, J. R. Verma, V. S. Meena, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7487405/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract A field experiment was conducted at the Instructional Farm, Agricultural Research Sub-Station, Sumerpur, Pali, during 2022-23 and 2023-24, titled "Synergistic effects of nitrogen fertilization, irrigation regimes, and soil microbial health on pomegranate growth and quality”. The experiment consists eighteen treatments which were laid out in split plot design with three replications. In different levels of nitrogen and irrigation, there were three levels of nitrogen i.e. N 1 (100%), N 2 (75%) and N 3 (50%) of RDF and three levels of irrigation i.e. W 1 (20%), W 2 (40%) and W 3 (60%) of soil moisture depletion of field capacity. The results revealed that application of 100 per cent nitrogen (N 1 ) and irrigation at 20 per cent (W 1 ) soil moisture depletion of field capacity resulted enhance plant height (2.96 m), annual shoot growth (30.3 cm), bloom intensity (42.6), fruit weight (239 g), fruit yield per plant (23 kg), juice content (82%), ascorbic acid (13.6 mg/100g) and bacterial population in soil (43.18 cfu/g of soil) along with minimum premature fruit cracking (8.06%) of the fruits. Whereas, TSS content was maximum (14.3 Brix) in 100 per cent nitrogen and irrigated at 60 per cent soil moisture depletion of field capacity. The results on soil microbial inoculation of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, there were two levels of soil microbial inoculation i.e. R 1 (plant inoculated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) and R 0 (plant without inoculation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi). The results revealed that plants inoculated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi resulted enhance plant height (2.98 m), annual shoot growth (31.1 cm), bloom intensity (43.7), fruit weight (238 g), fruit yield per plant (23.6 kg), juice content (83.5%), ascorbic acid (13.8 mg/100g) and bacterial population in soil (43.7 cfu/g of soil) along with minimum premature fruit cracking (7.96%) of the fruits. Whereas, TSS content was maximum (14.32 Brix) of the fruits as compare to the plant which was without inoculation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Pomegranate nitrogen irrigation regimes plant growth promoting rhizobacteria Figures Figure 1 Introduction Pomegranate ( Punica granatum L.) is an economically important commercial fruit crop belongs to the family Punicaceae and it is a deciduous fruit tree native to central Asia (Yuan et al., 2015 ). Being a hardy fruit crop suitable for dry, rainfed, pastured and undulating land, where other fruit crops fails to grow successfully. The pomegranate can be grown in arid and semi-arid regions under deficit or full irrigation conditions (Tavousi et al., 2015 ). The production of pomegranate depends on both the irrigation regime and fertilization practices used in different soil types (Taha, 2018 ). Owing to its xerophytic characteristics it can tolerate water stress and thus can be grown successfully in arid and semi-arid regions. It provides high yield and more income per unit area with low input. It is an ancient fruit, originated in Persia, Afghanistan, and Baluchistan. It is also thought to be a native of Iran, where it was first cultivated about 2000 BC ago. Commercial pomegranate orchards are found in western Rajasthan, which is characterized by nutrient-deficient sandy soils, low organic matter, high wind velocity coupled with high evaporation rates, high temperature, high solar radiation low rainfall with irregular distribution pattern and generally experience water deficit condition during plant growth. Nutrient rich value of pomegranate chemical constituents and antioxidant compounds raisen its importance in Pharmaceutical and food industry. Pomegranate is a popular fruit of tropical and sub-tropical regions that is gaining a great interest among consumers owning to its health benefits. The fruit is fair source of protein, carbohydrate, minerals, antioxidants, vitamins A, B and C, also been used to control diarrhoea, hyperacidity, tuberculosis, leprosy, abdominal pain and fever. Due to its multipurpose medicinal properties, it is also known as ‘‘Dadima’’ in Ayurveda and as ‘‘Superfruit’’ in the global functional food industry. Organic acids in the pomegranate such as citric, malic, acetic, fumaric, tartaric and lactic acids; however, the major acid accounting for titratable acidity in pomegranate arils is citric acid. Pomegranate juice contains antioxidants such as soluble polyphenols, tannins, anthocyanins and may have anti-atherosclerotic properties and can also be used in the ailment of cancer and chronic inflammation. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is abundantly present in all plant cells and has many biological functions. As natural antioxidant, it prevents browning the of tissue, which is an oxidation reaction, directly and indirectly. The top world producers are believed to be India, Iran, Turkey, China, United States of America, Palestine, Egypt, Spain, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa, Australia, and Italy (Kahramanoglu, 2019 ). As a cultivated crop pomegranate is grown to a limited extent of selected locations of many states in India. Commercial orchards of pomegranate trees are now grown in many regions of the world, particularly in the Mediterranean Basin, where high quality fruits are obtained. In India, it is grown from Kanyakumari to Kashmir but the commercial plantations of pomegranate exist only in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and to a limited extent in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu owing to its adaptability for arid climatic conditions. In 2019, pomegranate emerged as a significant agricultural commodity, with a global production of approximately 3.2 million metric tons (FAO, 2020). Area and production of pomegranate in India 235 thousand hectare and 2934 MT, respectively (Anonymous, 2023 , Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare; GOI), in Rajasthan 17.1thousand-hectare area and 160 MT production, respectively (Anonymous, 2023 -24, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare; GOI). In many parts of the world, fruit trees require an efficient water supply but there has been a rapid reduction in water availability. Consequently, new farm practices are needed in pomegranate orchards to overcome the limited water supply (Kang et al., 2002 ). Fortunately, pomegranate trees are very tolerant of drought and severe water stress (Pourghayoumi et al., 2017 ), but adequate soil moisture around the tree improves plant vigor and fruit yield. Therefore, it is essential for farm practices that allow pomegranate cultivation under water deficit conditions fertilization to be identified and introduced. Nutrient fertilization are significantly influences fruit production as the plant nutritional status affects flowering, vegetative growth, fruit retention, fruit set and has a noticeable influence on yield and fruit quality (Davarpanah et al., 2020 ). Material and methods The present investigation was conducted at pomegranate block, Agriculture Research Sub Station, Sumerpur, Pali, Agriculture University, Jodhpur during the Mrig Bahar of 2022-23 and 2023-24.The soil of the research site was sandy loam in texture, slightly alkaline in soil reaction, non-saline in conductivity, low in organic carbon content (0.36%) and available nitrogen content (185 kg ha − 1 ), whereas medium in available phosphorus content (15.2 kg ha − 1 ) and high in available potassium content (248 kg ha − 1 ). The bulk density of the soil in the experimental site was 1.65 mg/m 3 . Plant height measured from the base to the top of the tree using a graduated flag staff. Measurements were taken twice once in July (start of growth) and again in January (end of growth) and the increase in height was calculated and expressed in meters. For annual shoot growth ten shoots per tree were randomly selected, and their lengths recorded after growth ceased, using a measuring tape and results were expressed in centimeters. Bloom Intensity: Four uniform branches (each with 4–6 shoots) were randomly selected from four directions of the tree. At pink bud stage, shoot length and number of flower clusters were recorded. Bloom intensity was calculated as number of flower clusters per meter of shoot length. Average fruit weight was determined by weighing four randomly selected fruits from each treatment at final harvest using an electronic balance, expressed in grams per fruit, fruit yield per plant: Mature fruits harvested from each plant were weighed separately for each treatment, and results were expressed as kilograms per tree. Juice was extracted by pressing 100 arils in muslin cloth. The juice volume was measured in milliliters, and juice percentage was calculated based on the weight of arils. Premature fruit cracking (The numbers of the fruits cracked were periodically counted during the entire fruiting season and per cent fruit cracking were worked out by the following formula: Per cent fruit cracking: \(\:\frac{\text{T}\text{o}\text{t}\text{a}\text{l}\:\text{n}\text{u}\text{m}\text{b}\text{e}\text{r}\:\text{o}\text{f}\:\text{f}\text{r}\text{u}\text{i}\text{t}\text{s}\:\text{c}\text{r}\text{a}\text{c}\text{k}\text{e}\text{d}\:}{\text{T}\text{o}\text{t}\text{a}\text{l}\:\text{n}\text{u}\text{m}\text{b}\text{e}\text{r}\:\text{o}\text{f}\:\text{f}\text{r}\text{u}\text{i}\text{t}\text{s}\:\text{o}\text{n}\:\text{t}\text{h}\text{e}\:\text{p}\text{l}\text{a}\text{n}\text{t}\text{s}}\times\:100\) Total soluble solids (TSS) was measured using a digital refractometer. Ascorbic acid was estimated by titrating a solution of 10 g fruit aril homogenized in 3% metaphosphoric acid against 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol dye. Endpoint indicated by a rose-pink color. Fresh rhizosphere soil samples were used for bacterial population in soil. Bacterial colonies were grown on Thronton’s agar and counted using a digital colony counter after incubation. Results and discussion Plant height and annual shoot growth of pomegranate The data in Fig. 1 highlights the significant influence of different nitrogen and irrigation levels on plant height across both years of study. The highest plant height (2.72 m in 2022, 3.13 m in 2023, and 2.93 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (29.1 cm in 2022, 31.3 cm in 2023, and 30.17 cm in pooled analysis) were observed in plants receiving 100% nitrogen (N1). In contrast, the lowest plant height (2.65 m in 2022, 3.06 m in 2023, and 2.86 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (26.6 cm in 2022, 28.8 cm in 2023, and 27.7 cm in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants supplied with 50% nitrogen. The improved growth in plants with higher nitrogen levels can be attributed to its role in chlorophyll, protein, and amino acid synthesis, leading to enhanced food production, metabolite synthesis, and translocation within the plant factors essential for growth and development. These findings are consistent with those of Banyal et al. ( 2015 ) in peach. The highest plant height (2.74 m in 2022, 3.17 m in 2023, and 2.96 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (29.19 cm in 2022, 31.45 cm in 2023, and 30.32 cm in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants irrigated at 20% soil moisture depletion of field capacity. In contrast, the lowest plant height (2.62 m in 2022, 3.02 m in 2023, and 2.82 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (26.7 cm in 2022, 28.88 cm in 2023, and 27.8 cm in pooled analysis) were observed in plants irrigated at 60% soil moisture depletion of field capacity. The highest growth under 20% soil moisture depletion was likely due to the readily available soil moisture, which is essential for optimal nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and root development, leading to healthier and more productive plants. In contrast, plants irrigated at 60% soil moisture depletion faced water stress conditions during the active growth period, which interfered with cell division and reduced stem elongation. Terán et al. ( 2024 ) also reported that water stress during the growing season can induce dehydration of herbaceous parts, leading to reduced vegetative growth. Comparable findings were reported by Agrawal and Agrawal ( 2005 ) in pomegranate cv. Ganesh, Holland et al . (2009) in pomegranate, and Sinha et al. ( 2019 ) in Kinnow mandarin. Figure 1 highlights the significant influence of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plant height over both years of study. The highest plant height (2.76 m in 2022, 3.19 m in 2023, and 2.98 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (29.99 cm in 2022, 32.25 cm in 2023, and 31.12 cm in pooled analysis) were observed in plants inoculated with PGPR and AMF (R 1 ). In contrast, the lowest plant height (2.61 m in 2022, 3.01 m in 2023, and 2.81 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (25.82 cm in 2022, 28.01 cm in 2023, and 26.91 cm in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants without inoculation (R 0 ). PGPR are soil bacteria that colonize the root surface and contribute to plant growth and development by producing and secreting various regulatory chemicals in the rhizosphere (Camprubi et al ., 2008). Among PGPR, strains of the genera Pseudomonas and Bacillus are well-known phosphorus solubilizers. Additionally, PGPR can produce plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins and ethylene. In particular, an increase in plant hormones like Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) in the rhizosphere promotes healthy growth and root development. Meanwhile, the most recognized benefit of AMF is its ability to enhance the absorption of phosphorus and various micronutrients, contributing to overall plant vigor (Al-Karaki, 2013).These results indicate that higher nitrogen levels, lower soil moisture depletion and plant inoculated with plant inoculated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorhiza fungi significantly contribute to increased height and annual shoot growth of the plant. Bloom intensity and fruit weight of pomegranate The data in Tables 2 and 3 indicate that nitrogen and irrigation levels significantly influenced yield parameters, including bloom intensity, fruit weight, and yield per plant, during both years of study. The highest bloom intensity, fruit weight and yield per plant were observed in plants receiving 100% nitrogen, which was statistically superior to all other nitrogen treatments. In contrast, the lowest bloom intensity, fruit weight, and yield per plant were recorded in plants receiving 50% nitrogen. It might be due to nitrogen is vital for the physiological processes that contribute to the growth and development of fruits. It influenced cell division, cell expansion, photosynthesis, hormonal balance and resource allocation, all of which are key factors in determining fruit weight. Adequate nitrogen ensures that the fruit develops fully and increased weight. The results obtained in the present study are in accordance with the findings of Jain and Tiwari ( 2012 ). The highest bloom intensity (40.1 in 2022, 45.1 in 2023, and 42.6 in pooled analysis), fruit weight (235 g in 2022, 238 g in 2023, and 236 g in pooled analysis), and yield per plant (21.4kg in 2022, 24.7kg in 2023, and 23.0 kg in pooled analysis) were observed in plants irrigated at 20% soil moisture depletion of field capacity, significantly surpassing all other irrigation treatments. Conversely, the lowest bloom intensity (36.1 in 2022, 41.1 in 2023, and 38.64 in pooled analysis), fruit weight (230 g in 2022, 233 g in 2023, and 231 g in pooled analysis), and yield per plant (19.2 kg in 2022, 22.1 kg in 2023, and 20.7kg in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants irrigated at 60% soil moisture depletion of field capacity. It might be due to adequate moisture supports cell expansion, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis and hormonal balance all of which are essential for healthy fruit growth and increased weight. Sharma and Chandel ( 2005 ) also obtained highest fruit weight and fruit yield with frequent irrigation in apricot. The highest bloom intensity (41.2in 2022, 46.2in 2023, and 43.7in pooled analysis), fruit weight (236 g in 2022, 240 g in 2023, and 238 g in pooled analysis), and yield per plant (21.9kg in 2022, 25.3 kg in 2023, and 23.6 kg in pooled analysis) were observed in plants inoculated with PGPR and AMF (R 1 ). In contrast, the lowest bloom intensity (35.4in 2022, 40.4in 2023, and 37.9in pooled analysis), fruit weight (228 g in 2022, 231 g in 2023, and 230 g in pooled analysis), and yield per plant (18.7kg in 2022, 21.5kg in 2023, and 20.1kg in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants without inoculation (R 0 ). Supporting evidence for the above findings has also been reported by Sundriyal ( 2018 ). Auxins excreted by bacteria can improve root growth, resulting in increased uptake of essential nutrients and beneficial effect of Rhizophagusintraradices might be due to the nitrogen fixation and the supply of nutrients (Vikram, 2007 ). This is in conformity with the results obtained by Tudu ( 2013 ) in strawberry. Similarly, Bona et al. ( 2014 ) inoculated the strawberry with AMF and each of the two PGPR ( Pseudomonas ) resulted in a greater production of flowers and fruits, larger fruit compared with the fruits of un-inoculated plants. The increase in weight and length of fruits under this treatment might be due to the capability of PGPR to produce plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as auxins cytokinins, gibberellins and ethylene, which in turn enhance these parameters over other treatments (Kaur et al., 2017 ). Table 2 Effect of different levels of nitrogen, irrigation regimes and soil microbes on bloom intensity and fruit weight of pomegranate Treatments Bloom intensity Fruit weight (g) 2022 2023 pooled 2022 2023 pooled Soil Moisture Depletion W 1 40.1 45.1 42.6 235 238 236 W 2 38.5 43.5 41.0 232 236 234 W 3 36.1 41.1 38.6 230 233 231 SEM± 0.19 0.19 0.19 0.98 1.23 1.23 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.76 0.73 0.76 3.86 4.85 4.85 PGPR and AMF R0 35.4 40.4 37.7 228 231 230 R1 41.1 46.2 43.7 236 240 238 SEM± 0.13 0.19 0.13 0.89 0.93 0.93 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.37 0.56 0.37 2.56 2.68 2.68 Nitrogen levels N1 39.2 44.2 41.7 237 241 239 N2 38.4 43.4 40.9 233 236 234 N3 37.2 42.2 39.7 227 230 228 SEM± 0.16 0.24 0.16 1.09 1.14 1.14 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.45 0.68 0.45 3.14 3.28 3.28 Table 3 Effect of different levels of nitrogen, irrigation regimes and soil microbes on fruit yield per plant and juice content of pomegranate Treatments Fruit yield per plant (kg) Juice content (%) 2022 2023 pooled 2022 2023 pooled Soil Moisture Depletion W 1 21.4 24.7 23.0 82.1 82.3 82.2 W 2 20.2 23.4 21.8 79.7 79.9 79.8 W 3 19.2 22.1 20.7 76.5 76.7 76.6 SEM± 0.10 0.11 0.11 0.71 0.71 0.71 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.39 0.45 0.42 2.80 2.80 2.80 PGPR and AMF R0 18.7 21.5 20.1 75.5 75.6 75.5 R1 21.9 25.3 23.6 83.4 83.7 83.5 SEM± 0.08 0.09 0.09 0.52 0.52 0.52 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.24 0.27 0.26 1.50 1.50 1.50 Nitrogen levels N1 21.1 24.3 22.7 80.7 80.9 80.8 N2 20.3 23.4 21.9 79.6 79.8 79.7 N3 19.5 22.5 21.0 78.0 78.2 78.1 SEM± 0.10 0.12 0.11 0.64 0.64 0.64 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.29 0.33 0.31 1.84 1.84 1.84 The highest juice content (80.7% in 2022, 80.9% in 2023, and 80.9% in pooled analysis), lowest premature fruit cracking (8.84% in 2022, 8.59% in 2023, and 8.71% in pooled analysis), highest TSS (14.1°Brix in 2022, 14.5°Brix in 2023, and 14.3°Brix in pooled analysis), and highest ascorbic acid content (13.4 mg/100g in 2022, 13.4 mg/100g in 2023, and 13.4 mg/100g in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants supplied with 100% nitrogen. Conversely, plants with 50% nitrogen had the lowest juice content (78.0% in 2022, 78.2% in 2023, and 78.1% in pooled analysis), highest premature fruit cracking (9.27% in 2022, 9.02% in 2023, and 9.15% in pooled analysis), lowest TSS (14.0°Brix in 2022, 14.4°Brix in 2023, and 14.2°Brix in pooled analysis), and lowest ascorbic acid content (13.1 mg/100g in 2022, 13.2mg/100g in 2023, and 13.1 mg/100g in pooled analysis). The increase in juice content of fruits it might be due to the fruits influenced by cell division, expansion, water retention and photosynthesis. Adequate nitrogen ensures that the arils are well-developed, hydrated and filled with juice, resulted higher juice content. The results are in conformity with the findings of Bhutani et al., ( 1983 ) in plum, Singh (1988) in pomegranate. They reported more percent juice/pulp, rind and aril content in different fruit crops. Firake and Deolankar (2000) also reported similar effects of nitrogenous fertilizers in pomegranate and other fruit crops. Decrease in premature fruit cracking, it might be due to inadequate supply of nitrogen affected the cell wall strength, turgor pressure, hormonal balance and growth regulation, while adequate nitrogen is essential for healthy fruit development, excessive nitrogen can lead to rapid growth and increased internal pressure, making the peel more prone to cracking. These results are in conformity with the findings of Singh et al. ( 2020 ), who recorded the decrease in fruit cracking with increased levels of N in pomegranate plants. Perusal of data indicated that soil moisture depletion levels significantly affected juice content, premature fruit cracking, TSS, and ascorbic acid. The highest juice content (82.1% in 2022, 82.3% in 2023, 82.2% pooled), lowest premature fruit cracking (8.21% in 2022, 8.06% in 2023, 8.13% pooled), highest TSS (14.1°Brix in 2022, 14.4°Brix in 2023, 14.3°Brix pooled), and highest ascorbic acid (13.6mg/100g in 2022, 13.6 mg/100g in 2023, 13.6 mg/100g pooled) were recorded at 20% soil moisture depletion. The lowest juice content (76.5%, 76.6%, 76.6%), highest cracking (9.78%, 9.46%, 9.62%), lowest TSS (14.1°, 14.4°, 14.2°Brix), and lowest ascorbic acid (12.9, 12.9, 12.9 mg/100g) were observed at 60% depletion. It might be due to fruits influenced by cell expansion, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, osmotic balance and hormonal regulation. Adequate and consistent soil moisture supports the proper development of the arils, resulted higher juice content. The results are in conformity with the findings of Parvizi and Sepaskhah (2015) in pomegranate, results showed that juice percentage of pomegranate fruits was significantly influenced by different irrigation strategies. Decrease in premature fruit cracking, it might be due to soil moisture directly influenced the water content within fruit cells and affected turgor pressure. When soil moisture was high, water uptake by the plant increased, leading to higher turgor pressure in the cells of the arils and the peel and if peel not sufficiently elastic or strong to accommodate the increased pressure, it cracked. This is particularly common when there is a sudden increase in soil moisture after a period of drought, causing rapid water uptake and a corresponding spike in turgor pressure. Singh et al. ( 2020 ) also obtained lowest fruit cracking in pomegranate with frequent irrigation. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) significantly influenced juice content, premature fruit cracking, TSS, and ascorbic acid. The highest juice content (83.4% in 2022, 83.7% in 2023, 83.5% pooled), lowest fruit cracking (8.06%, 7.86%, 7.96%), highest TSS (14.1°Brix, 14.5°Brix, 14.3°Brix), and highest ascorbic acid (13.8mg/100g, 13.8 mg/100g, 13.8mg/100g) were recorded in plants inoculated with PGPR and AMF (R 1 ). The lowest juice content (75.5%, 75.6%, 75.5%), highest fruit cracking (9.99%, 9.69%, 9.84%), lowest TSS (14.0°, 14.4°, 14.2°Brix), and lowest ascorbic acid (12.8, 12.8, 12.8 mg/100g) were observed in non-inoculated plants (R 0 ). It might be due to the juice content was more dependent on environmental condition during growth and development than genetic inheritance (Shaw, 1990 ). Juice content was observed in the treatment which might be due to favorable temperature humidity especially in night during fruit growth and ripening period, these finding in pomegranate are in conformity with Sharma (2002) and Neetu ( 2018 ). PGPR and AMF improve the plant's ability to absorb essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are vital for various metabolic processes, including carbohydrate synthesis. AMF in particular, enhances phosphorus uptake, which is crucial for energy transfer and synthesis of sugars. Theresults are accordance with finding of Belakhud et al. ( 2015 ), who reported that, the maximum TSS content in fruits was recorded with dual or single application of Pseudomonas palleroniana and Rhizophagusintraradices . Table 4 Effect of different levels of nitrogen, irrigation regimes and soil microbes on premature fruit cracking (%) and TSS (°Brix) of pomegranate Treatments Premature fruit cracking (%) TSS (°Brix) 2022 2023 pooled 2022 2023 pooled Soil Moisture Depletion W 1 8.21 8.06 8.13 14.06 14.43 14.24 W 2 9.09 8.81 8.95 14.09 14.46 14.27 W 3 9.78 9.46 9.62 14.12 14.49 14.30 SEM± 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.05 0.05 0.05 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.32 0.32 0.32 NS NS NS PGPR and AMF R0 9.99 9.69 9.84 14.04 14.41 14.23 R1 8.06 7.86 7.96 14.13 14.50 14.32 SEM± 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.07 0.07 0.07 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.14 0.14 0.14 NS NS NS Nitrogen levels N1 8.84 8.59 8.71 14.13 14.50 14.32 N2 8.97 8.72 8.84 14.10 14.47 14.29 N3 9.27 9.02 9.15 14.03 14.40 14.21 SEM± 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.09 0.09 0.09 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.17 0.17 0.17 NS NS NS Ascorbic acid and Bacterial population in soil Bacterial population in the soil was significantly influenced by different nitrogen levels (Table 5 ) . The highest bacterial population (42.7, 43.6, and 43.0 cfu/g soil in 2022, 2023, and pooled analysis, respectively) was observed in plants receiving 100% nitrogen. Plants with 75% nitrogen recorded slightly lower bacterial counts (42.0, 42.6, and 42.3cfu/g soil), while the lowest bacterial population (40.8, 41.4, and 41.1cfu/g soil) was found in plants treated with only 50% nitrogen. This suggests that higher nitrogen levels support greater microbial activity in the soil. Significant increase in ascorbic acid was recorded with dual or single application of PGPR and AMF, not only dual inoculation improved the quality of fruit crops, it increases the ascorbic acid content of fruits, and these findings are in line with those of Wange et al. ( 1998 ). This may be due to the fact that when plant exposed with more nitrogen, it increases protein production and carbohydrate in plant causing increase in ascorbic acid content in fruits. Similarly, Bona et al. ( 2014 ) reveled that plants inoculated with AMF and PGPR resulted in a higher concentrations of sugar and ascorbic acid compared with the fruits of un-inoculated plants. This in conformity with findings of Sundriyal ( 2018 ). The bacterial population was significantly influenced by different irrigation levels. The highest bacterial count (42.9, 43.5, and 43.2cfu/g soil in 2022, 2023, and pooled analysis, respectively) was observed in plants irrigated at 20% soil moisture depletion of field capacity. This was higher than plants irrigated at 40% depletion (41.9, 42.5, and 42.2cfu/g soil). The lowest bacterial population (40.8, 41.4, and 41.1cfu/g soil) was recorded in plants irrigated at 60% depletion, indicating reduced microbial activity under higher moisture stress. Birch ( 1960 ) observed that water availability in the soil, essential for biotic life functions, undergoes extreme changes, mainly in the upper soil layer. As expected, soil microbial biomass increased with the increase in soil moisture and it important for solvent convection. The bacterial population was significantly influenced by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF). The highest bacterial population (43.4, 44.0, and 43.7cfu per g of soil in 2022, 2023, and pooled analysis, respectively) was recorded in plants inoculated with PGPR and AMF (R 1 ). In contrast, the lowest bacterial population (40.3, 40.9, and 40.6 cfu per g of soil in 2022, 2023, and pooled analysis, respectively) was observed in plants without inoculation (R 0 ), indicating a significant positive impact of PGPR and AMF on soil microbial activity. This enhancement might be due to the production of nutrient solubilizing enzyme by various micro-organisms (Ghazi, 2006 ). Kohler et al, ( 2007 ) reported that inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improving the microbial activity in the rhizosphare of the plant. Table 5 Effect of different levels of nitrogen, irrigation regimes and soil microbes on ascorbic acid and bacterial population in soil of pomegranate Treatments Ascorbic acid (mg/100 g) Bacterial population in soil (CFU/ g of soil) 2022 2023 Pooled 2022 2023 Pooled Soil Moisture Depletion W1 13.6 13.6 13.6 42.9 43.5 43.2 W2 13.4 13.4 13.4 41.9 42.5 42.2 W3 12.9 12.9 12.9 40.8 41.4 41.1 SEM± 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.15 0.33 0.18 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.58 1.31 0.72 PGPR and AMF R0 12.8 12.8 12.8 40.3 40.9 40.6 R1 13.8 13.8 13.8 43.4 44.0 43.7 SEM± 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.15 0.17 0.11 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.45 0.50 0.31 Nitrogen levels N1 13.4 13.4 13.4 42.7 43.4 43.0 N2 13.3 13.4 13.3 42.0 42.6 42.3 N3 13.1 13.2 13.1 40.8 41.4 41.1 SEM± 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.19 0.21 0.13 LSD (p ≤ 0.05) 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.55 0.61 0.38 Conclusion The present study highlights the significant impact of nitrogen fertilization, irrigation regimes, and soil microbial health on the growth, yield, and quality of pomegranate. Application of 100% recommended nitrogen levels (N1) enhanced plant growth, bloom intensity, fruit weight, yield, juice content, and fruit quality. Irrigating plants at 20% soil moisture depletion (W1) resulted in the best plant growth and reduced premature fruit cracking, indicating the importance of maintaining adequate moisture for optimal physiological processes. Additionally, inoculation with Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) significantly improved growth, yield, and quality, especially by enhancing nutrient uptake and root development. The combination of these factors led to a synergistic effect that maximized pomegranate productivity, making it evident that integrated management of nitrogen, irrigation, and soil microbial health is essential for improving both the yield and quality of pomegranate in arid and semi-arid regions. Declarations Acknowledgements The author would like to appreciate the technical support of the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Funding This research work received no external funding Data Availability All data will available on request Declarations Conflict of Interest The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical Approval All authors are agreed to submit it. Informed Consent Before the submission of the paper, all the authors have given consent to publish. References Agrawal, S., Agrawal, N. 2005. Effect of trickle irrigation on growth, yield and quality of pomegranate cv. Ganesh in Chhattisgarh region. Mysore Journal of Agricultural Science 39(2): 175-181. AI-Karaki, G.N. 2013. Benefits, cost and phosphorus use efficiency of mycorrhizal field grown garlic at different soil phosphorus levels. Journal of Plant Nutrition 25(6): 1175-1184. Anonymous. 2023-24. Horticulture Statistics at a Glance. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Horticulture Statistics Division, Government of India. Banyal, S.K., Sharma, D., Jarial, K. 2015. Effect of nitrogen fertigation on yield and fruit quality of low chilling peaches under subtropical conditions of Himachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Horticulture 72(4): 457-460. Belakhud, B., Bahadur, V., Prasad, V.M. 2015. Performance of strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch) varieties for yield and biochemical parameters. Pharma Innovation Journal 4(10): 05-08. Bhutani, V.P., Bhatia, H.S., Chopra, S.K. 1983. Effect of herbicide and nitrogen on weed control, yield and quality of Santa Rosa Plum. Journal of Tree Science 2: 84-90. Birch, H.F. 1960. Nitrification in soils after different periods of dryness. Plant Soil 12: 81-96. Bona, E., Guido, L., Manassero, P., Cantamessa, S. 2014. AM fungi and PGP pseudomonaas increase flowering, fruit production and vitamin content in strawberry grown at low nitrogen and phosphorus levels. Mycorrhiza 25: 181–193. Camprubi, A., Nogales, A. 2008. Response of the grapevine rootstock Richter 110 to inoculation with native and selected arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and growth performance in a replant vineyard. Mycorrhiza 18(4): 211-216. Davarpanah, S., Tehranifar, A., Zarei, M., Aran, M., Davarynejad, G., Abadía, J. 2020. Early season foliar iron fertilization increases fruit yield and quality in pomegranate. Agronomy 10(6): 832. DOI: 10.3390/agronomy10060832. Food and Agriculture Organization, 2020. The state of food and agriculture 2020: Overcoming water challenges in agriculture . FAO. Ghazi, N.A.K. 2006. Nursery inoculation of tomato with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and subsequent performance under irrigation with sterile water. Scientia Horticulturae 109: 1–7. Ghosh, S.N., Bera, B., Roy, S., Kundu, A. 2012. Integrated nutrient management in pomegranate grown in laterite soil. Indian Journal of Horticulture 69(3): 333-337. Holland, D. 2009. Seasonal and cultivar variations in antioxidant and sensory quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 22: 189–195. Jain, P.K., Tiwari, A. 2012. Effect of irrigation systems and frequencies on growth and yield of papaya. Indian Journal of Horticulture pp: 277-280. Kahramanoglu, I. 2019. Trends in pomegranate sector: Production, postharvest handling and marketing. Indian Journal of Agriculture and Forest Life Sciences 3: 239–246. Kang, S.Z., Hu, X.T., Goodwin, I., Jirie, P., Zhang, J. 2002. Soil water distribution, water use and yield response to partial rootzone drying under flood-irrigation condition in a pear orchard. Scientia Horticulturae 92: 277–291. DOI: 10.1016/S0304-4238(01)00300-4. Kaur, A., Singh, R., Sinfh, H. 2017. Evaluation of strawberry cultivars for growth and yield characteristics in sub-tropical region of Punjab. International Journal of Advance Research 5(3): 257-264. Kohler, J., Caravaca, F., Carrasco, L., Rolden, A. 2007. Interactions between a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium, AM fungus and phosphate-solubilizing fungus in the rhizosphere of Lactuca sativa. Applied Soil Ecology 35: 480–487. Lansky, E.P., Newman, R.A. 2007. Punicagranatum (pomegranate) and its potential for prevention and treatment of inflammation and cancer. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 109(2): 177–206. Martins, T.S.U., Jilma, S.P., Rios, J., Hingorani, L., Derendorf, M. 2006. Absorption, metabolism and antioxidant effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) polyphenol after ingestion of a standardized extract in healthy human volunteers. Journal of Agriculture Food Chemistry 54: 8956–8961. Michel, D.S., et al. 2005. Effect of pomegranate juice consumption on myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary heart disease. American Journal of Cardiology 96: 810–814. Neetu. 2018. Evaluation of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) cultivars in Chhattisgarh plains. M.Sc Thesis, College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwa Vidhyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Pp-92. Panwar, J., Tarafdar, J.C. 2006. Distribution of three endangered medicinal plant species and their colonization with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Journal of Arid Environment 65: 337–350. Parvizi, H., Sepaskhah, A.R., Ahmadi, S.H. 2015. Effect of drip irrigation and fertilizer regimes on fruit yields and water productivity of a pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Rabab orchard. Agricultural Water Management 146: 45–56. Pourghayoumi, M., Bakhshi, D., Rahemi, M., Kamgar-Haghighi, A.A., Aalami, A. 2017. The physiological responses of various pomegranate cultivars to drought stress and recovery in order to screen for drought tolerance. Scientia Horticulturae 217: 164–172. DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2017.01.044. Rufat, J., Arbonés, A., Villar, P., Domingo, X., Pascual, M., Villar, J.M. 2010. Effects of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on growth, yield and fruit quality parameters of peaches for processing. Acta Horticultura 868: 87-93. Sharma, N.C., Chandel, J.S. 2005. Effect of different levels of irrigation regimes on yield, fruit quality and leaf nutrient status of apricot. Progressive Horticulture 37(1): 78-81. Sharma, R.R. 2002. Growing Strawberries. International Book Distributing Company, Charbagh, Lucknow-226004, U.P. (India), pp. 1-33. Shaw, D.V. 1990. Response to selection and associated changes in genetic variance for soluble solids and titratable acids contents in strawberries. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 115: 839-843. Singh, A., Shukla, A.K., Meghwal, P.R. 2020. Fruit Cracking in Pomegranate: Extent, Cause, and Management – A Review. International Journal of Fruit Science 20(3): 1234-1253. Sinha, R., Karuna, K., Ahmad, M.F., Prasad, M., Singh, G., Mankar, A. 2019. Effect of fertigation on granulation in kinnow mandarin. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 8(3): 2648-2651. Stover, E., Mercure, E.W. 2007. The Pomegranate: A New Look at the Fruit of Paradise. HortScience 42: 1088–1092. Sundriyal, N. 2018. Inoculation of microbial culture for the promotion of horticultural traits in strawberry genotype (Fragaria × ananassavar. Confiture) growing in Uttarakhand temperate Himalayan region. M.Sc Thesis, V.C.S.G.U.U.H.F. Bharasar, Pauri Garhwal (Uttarakhand) India. Pp-83. Taha, A. 2018. Assessment of different ETO-dependent irrigation levels for pomegranate on saving water and energy and maximizing farm income. Journal of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering, Mansoura University 9(11): 657–665. DOI: 10.21608/jssae.2018.36461. Tavousi, M., Kaveh, F., Alizadeh, A., Babazadeh, H., Tehranifar, A. 2015. Effects of drought and salinity on yield and water use efficiency in pomegranate tree. Journal of Materials and Environmental Science 6(7): 1975–1980. Terán, F., Vives‐Peris, V., Gómez‐Cadenas, A., Pérez‐Clemente, R.M. 2024. Facing climate change: Plant stress mitigation strategies in agriculture. Physiologia Plantarum 176(4), e14484. Tudu, S. 2013. Effect of organic sources of nutrients on growth, yield and quality of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch) cv. Douglas. M.Sc (Horticulture) Thesis, Birsa Agriculture University, Ranchi, Jharkhand. Pp-117. Vikram, A. 2007. Efficacy of phosphate solubilizing bacteria isolated from vertisols on growth and yield parameters of sorghum. Research Journal of Microbiology 2: 550–559. Wange, S.S., Patil, M.T., Singh, B.R. 1998. Cultivar × biofertilizers interaction study in strawberry. Recent Horticulture 4: 43-44. Yuan, Z.H., Wilkins, E., Wang, W. 2015. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits. International Society of Horticultural Science, Leuven, Belgium , p. 493. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 28 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 08 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 03 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 02 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 30 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 23 Sep, 2025 Editor invited by journal 15 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 02 Sep, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 02 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 29 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7487405","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":524447859,"identity":"ed513348-1eed-4159-ae75-4c5a2131208a","order_by":0,"name":"Lokesh Kumar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Agriculture University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lokesh","middleName":"","lastName":"Kumar","suffix":""},{"id":524447860,"identity":"8128cc82-a110-4bec-83c1-0c14bb91ca60","order_by":1,"name":"R. L. Bhardwaj","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABAklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHCCBGbGBiB1gIHB8EMFkMHM3EC8FmOJMyAtjAS1MMC1MPC2gfgEtJi3H3gmXbjDLp/vRvKDAsl5tdH87UAtPyq24dQicyYhTXrmmWTLmTfSDAwKtx3PnXGYsYGx58xtnFokGIBaeNuYDQxuJxgYSG47ltsA1MLM2IZHC/8DkJZ6oJb0Dwa8c47lzieoRQJsy2GglhwDA96GmtwNhLU8SLae2XbcQPL+mwJjiWMHcjcCtRzE6xf+nMTbhW3VBnxnjm8z/FBTlzvv/OGDD35U4NbCwMCTAGOxGTAwHAazDuBRDwTscHnmBwwMdfgVj4JRMApGwYgEADCpXetk1Lj/AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Agriculture University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"R.","middleName":"L.","lastName":"Bhardwaj","suffix":""},{"id":524447861,"identity":"359fa33e-1474-4de5-9eff-9e5bc18c8d08","order_by":2,"name":"S. K. Moond","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Agriculture University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"S.","middleName":"K.","lastName":"Moond","suffix":""},{"id":524447862,"identity":"6381e5ef-b085-4dee-8984-7275d5b35654","order_by":3,"name":"J. R. Verma","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Agriculture University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"J.","middleName":"R.","lastName":"Verma","suffix":""},{"id":524447863,"identity":"6dd0c0cb-3254-4b41-858d-864bdf823332","order_by":4,"name":"V. S. Meena","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ICAR-NBPGR, Regional Station","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"V.","middleName":"S.","lastName":"Meena","suffix":""},{"id":524447864,"identity":"8c36f84d-7ab5-4a15-bbbf-c81f81364a02","order_by":5,"name":"Mithlesh Kumar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Agricultural Research Station","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mithlesh","middleName":"","lastName":"Kumar","suffix":""},{"id":524447865,"identity":"ba6e34ca-32d9-4edd-9b07-b7d743fc9db8","order_by":6,"name":"Atma Ram Meena","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Atma","middleName":"Ram","lastName":"Meena","suffix":""},{"id":524447866,"identity":"32b210ec-332b-4595-87a6-2fcb2c918e4a","order_by":7,"name":"Siyaram Meena","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Tirhut College of Agriculture, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Siyaram","middleName":"","lastName":"Meena","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-08-29 09:53:37","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7487405/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7487405/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":92830213,"identity":"a64f8611-ff18-4b18-b865-b7baaf99497d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-06 06:07:19","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":56689,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Revisedpaperlokesh.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7487405/v1/633175111aafbd5828935a55.docx"},{"id":92830805,"identity":"52bb49cb-db69-4cda-a946-b7a14fda764c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-06 06:15:19","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":10041,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"65d79128401f4b77aba1a30ba7a78c41.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7487405/v1/fa8a1a74f51b465ed572deff.json"},{"id":92830217,"identity":"b0bdf026-2fdd-473d-b4fa-382e913f5b6a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-06 06:07:19","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":126210,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"65d79128401f4b77aba1a30ba7a78c411enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7487405/v1/f04f67cc532fb6ab9990fb42.xml"},{"id":92830219,"identity":"c450055d-561a-466d-b701-1bb7c8f5a31e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-06 06:07:19","extension":"xml","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":123587,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"65d79128401f4b77aba1a30ba7a78c411structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7487405/v1/6e17deed84d8ad76952a1e38.xml"},{"id":92830216,"identity":"668be4fd-d207-4e6d-ab21-7dd7198d7ce2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-06 06:07:19","extension":"html","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":132299,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7487405/v1/88d83a8c5531e07243812a50.html"},{"id":92830211,"identity":"fa9f8d74-17c6-4fd2-bfb7-7c87b5fba245","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-06 06:07:19","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":29956,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEffect of different levels of nitrogen, irrigation regimes and soil microbes on plant height and annual shoot growth of pomegranate\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7487405/v1/e10ef29b51b9f052fb4e31fd.png"},{"id":92830911,"identity":"be4efe1f-6750-4899-96bf-72c963352854","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-06 06:23:20","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1056868,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7487405/v1/eb7309e8-23cc-4e79-9edd-ddcee34de683.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Synergistic effects of nitrogen fertilization, irrigation regimes, and soil microbial health on pomegranate growth and quality","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003ePomegranate (\u003cem\u003ePunica granatum\u003c/em\u003e L.) is an economically important commercial fruit crop belongs to the family \u003cem\u003ePunicaceae\u003c/em\u003e and it is a deciduous fruit tree native to central Asia (Yuan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Being a hardy fruit crop suitable for dry, rainfed, pastured and undulating land, where other fruit crops fails to grow successfully. The pomegranate can be grown in arid and semi-arid regions under deficit or full irrigation conditions (Tavousi et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). The production of pomegranate depends on both the irrigation regime and fertilization practices used in different soil types (Taha, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Owing to its xerophytic characteristics it can tolerate water stress and thus can be grown successfully in arid and semi-arid regions. It provides high yield and more income per unit area with low input. It is an ancient fruit, originated in Persia, Afghanistan, and Baluchistan. It is also thought to be a native of Iran, where it was first cultivated about 2000 BC ago. Commercial pomegranate orchards are found in western Rajasthan, which is characterized by nutrient-deficient sandy soils, low organic matter, high wind velocity coupled with high evaporation rates, high temperature, high solar radiation low rainfall with irregular distribution pattern and generally experience water deficit condition during plant growth.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNutrient rich value of pomegranate chemical constituents and antioxidant compounds raisen its importance in Pharmaceutical and food industry. Pomegranate is a popular fruit of tropical and sub-tropical regions that is gaining a great interest among consumers owning to its health benefits. The fruit is fair source of protein, carbohydrate, minerals, antioxidants, vitamins A, B and C, also been used to control diarrhoea, hyperacidity, tuberculosis, leprosy, abdominal pain and fever. Due to its multipurpose medicinal properties, it is also known as \u0026lsquo;\u0026lsquo;Dadima\u0026rsquo;\u0026rsquo; in Ayurveda and as \u0026lsquo;\u0026lsquo;Superfruit\u0026rsquo;\u0026rsquo; in the global functional food industry. Organic acids in the pomegranate such as citric, malic, acetic, fumaric, tartaric and lactic acids; however, the major acid accounting for titratable acidity in pomegranate arils is citric acid. Pomegranate juice contains antioxidants such as soluble polyphenols, tannins, anthocyanins and may have anti-atherosclerotic properties and can also be used in the ailment of cancer and chronic inflammation. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is abundantly present in all plant cells and has many biological functions. As natural antioxidant, it prevents browning the of tissue, which is an oxidation reaction, directly and indirectly.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe top world producers are believed to be India, Iran, Turkey, China, United States of America, Palestine, Egypt, Spain, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa, Australia, and Italy (Kahramanoglu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). As a cultivated crop pomegranate is grown to a limited extent of selected locations of many states in India. Commercial orchards of pomegranate trees are now grown in many regions of the world, particularly in the Mediterranean Basin, where high quality fruits are obtained. In India, it is grown from Kanyakumari to Kashmir but the commercial plantations of pomegranate exist only in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and to a limited extent in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu owing to its adaptability for arid climatic conditions. In 2019, pomegranate emerged as a significant agricultural commodity, with a global production of approximately 3.2\u0026nbsp;million metric tons (FAO, 2020). Area and production of pomegranate in India 235 thousand hectare and 2934 MT, respectively (Anonymous, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare; GOI), in Rajasthan 17.1thousand-hectare area and 160 MT production, respectively (Anonymous, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e-24, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare; GOI).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn many parts of the world, fruit trees require an efficient water supply but there has been a rapid reduction in water availability. Consequently, new farm practices are needed in pomegranate orchards to overcome the limited water supply (Kang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e). Fortunately, pomegranate trees are very tolerant of drought and severe water stress (Pourghayoumi et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), but adequate soil moisture around the tree improves plant vigor and fruit yield. Therefore, it is essential for farm practices that allow pomegranate cultivation under water deficit conditions fertilization to be identified and introduced. Nutrient fertilization are significantly influences fruit production as the plant nutritional status affects flowering, vegetative growth, fruit retention, fruit set and has a noticeable influence on yield and fruit quality (Davarpanah et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Material and methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe present investigation was conducted at pomegranate block, Agriculture Research Sub Station, Sumerpur, Pali, Agriculture University, Jodhpur during the \u003cem\u003eMrig Bahar\u003c/em\u003e of 2022-23 and 2023-24.The soil of the research site was sandy loam in texture, slightly alkaline in soil reaction, non-saline in conductivity, low in organic carbon content (0.36%) and available nitrogen content (185 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e), whereas medium in available phosphorus content (15.2 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) and high in available potassium content (248 kg ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e). The bulk density of the soil in the experimental site was 1.65 mg/m\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlant height measured from the base to the top of the tree using a graduated flag staff. Measurements were taken twice once in July (start of growth) and again in January (end of growth) and the increase in height was calculated and expressed in meters. For annual shoot growth ten shoots per tree were randomly selected, and their lengths recorded after growth ceased, using a measuring tape and results were expressed in centimeters. Bloom Intensity: Four uniform branches (each with 4\u0026ndash;6 shoots) were randomly selected from four directions of the tree. At pink bud stage, shoot length and number of flower clusters were recorded. Bloom intensity was calculated as number of flower clusters per meter of shoot length.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAverage fruit weight was determined by weighing four randomly selected fruits from each treatment at final harvest using an electronic balance, expressed in grams per fruit, fruit yield per plant: Mature fruits harvested from each plant were weighed separately for each treatment, and results were expressed as kilograms per tree.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJuice was extracted by pressing 100 arils in muslin cloth. The juice volume was measured in milliliters, and juice percentage was calculated based on the weight of arils. Premature fruit cracking (The numbers of the fruits cracked were periodically counted during the entire fruiting season and per cent fruit cracking were worked out by the following formula:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePer cent fruit cracking:\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\frac{\\text{T}\\text{o}\\text{t}\\text{a}\\text{l}\\:\\text{n}\\text{u}\\text{m}\\text{b}\\text{e}\\text{r}\\:\\text{o}\\text{f}\\:\\text{f}\\text{r}\\text{u}\\text{i}\\text{t}\\text{s}\\:\\text{c}\\text{r}\\text{a}\\text{c}\\text{k}\\text{e}\\text{d}\\:}{\\text{T}\\text{o}\\text{t}\\text{a}\\text{l}\\:\\text{n}\\text{u}\\text{m}\\text{b}\\text{e}\\text{r}\\:\\text{o}\\text{f}\\:\\text{f}\\text{r}\\text{u}\\text{i}\\text{t}\\text{s}\\:\\text{o}\\text{n}\\:\\text{t}\\text{h}\\text{e}\\:\\text{p}\\text{l}\\text{a}\\text{n}\\text{t}\\text{s}}\\times\\:100\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal soluble solids (TSS) was measured using a digital refractometer. Ascorbic acid was estimated by titrating a solution of 10 g fruit aril homogenized in 3% metaphosphoric acid against 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol dye. Endpoint indicated by a rose-pink color. Fresh rhizosphere soil samples were used for bacterial population in soil. Bacterial colonies were grown on Thronton\u0026rsquo;s agar and counted using a digital colony counter after incubation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results and discussion","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePlant height and annual shoot growth of pomegranate\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe data in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e highlights the significant influence of different nitrogen and irrigation levels on plant height across both years of study. The highest plant height (2.72 m in 2022, 3.13 m in 2023, and 2.93 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (29.1 cm in 2022, 31.3 cm in 2023, and 30.17 cm in pooled analysis) were observed in plants receiving 100% nitrogen (N1). In contrast, the lowest plant height (2.65 m in 2022, 3.06 m in 2023, and 2.86 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (26.6 cm in 2022, 28.8 cm in 2023, and 27.7 cm in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants supplied with 50% nitrogen. The improved growth in plants with higher nitrogen levels can be attributed to its role in chlorophyll, protein, and amino acid synthesis, leading to enhanced food production, metabolite synthesis, and translocation within the plant factors essential for growth and development. These findings are consistent with those of Banyal et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) in peach. The highest plant height (2.74 m in 2022, 3.17 m in 2023, and 2.96 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (29.19 cm in 2022, 31.45 cm in 2023, and 30.32 cm in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants irrigated at 20% soil moisture depletion of field capacity. In contrast, the lowest plant height (2.62 m in 2022, 3.02 m in 2023, and 2.82 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (26.7 cm in 2022, 28.88 cm in 2023, and 27.8 cm in pooled analysis) were observed in plants irrigated at 60% soil moisture depletion of field capacity. The highest growth under 20% soil moisture depletion was likely due to the readily available soil moisture, which is essential for optimal nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and root development, leading to healthier and more productive plants. In contrast, plants irrigated at 60% soil moisture depletion faced water stress conditions during the active growth period, which interfered with cell division and reduced stem elongation. Ter\u0026aacute;n et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) also reported that water stress during the growing season can induce dehydration of herbaceous parts, leading to reduced vegetative growth. Comparable findings were reported by Agrawal and Agrawal (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e) in pomegranate cv. Ganesh, Holland \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e. (2009) in pomegranate, and Sinha et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) in Kinnow mandarin. Figure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e highlights the significant influence of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plant height over both years of study. The highest plant height (2.76 m in 2022, 3.19 m in 2023, and 2.98 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (29.99 cm in 2022, 32.25 cm in 2023, and 31.12 cm in pooled analysis) were observed in plants inoculated with PGPR and AMF (R\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e). In contrast, the lowest plant height (2.61 m in 2022, 3.01 m in 2023, and 2.81 m in pooled analysis) and annual shoot growth (25.82 cm in 2022, 28.01 cm in 2023, and 26.91 cm in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants without inoculation (R\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e). PGPR are soil bacteria that colonize the root surface and contribute to plant growth and development by producing and secreting various regulatory chemicals in the rhizosphere (Camprubi \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2008). Among PGPR, strains of the genera \u003cem\u003ePseudomonas\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBacillus\u003c/em\u003e are well-known phosphorus solubilizers. Additionally, PGPR can produce plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins and ethylene. In particular, an increase in plant hormones like Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) in the rhizosphere promotes healthy growth and root development. Meanwhile, the most recognized benefit of AMF is its ability to enhance the absorption of phosphorus and various micronutrients, contributing to overall plant vigor (Al-Karaki, 2013).These results indicate that higher nitrogen levels, lower soil moisture depletion and plant inoculated with plant inoculated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorhiza fungi significantly contribute to increased height and annual shoot growth of the plant.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBloom intensity and fruit weight of pomegranate\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data in Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e indicate that nitrogen and irrigation levels significantly influenced yield parameters, including bloom intensity, fruit weight, and yield per plant, during both years of study. The highest bloom intensity, fruit weight and yield per plant were observed in plants receiving 100% nitrogen, which was statistically superior to all other nitrogen treatments. In contrast, the lowest bloom intensity, fruit weight, and yield per plant were recorded in plants receiving 50% nitrogen. It might be due to nitrogen is vital for the physiological processes that contribute to the growth and development of fruits. It influenced cell division, cell expansion, photosynthesis, hormonal balance and resource allocation, all of which are key factors in determining fruit weight. Adequate nitrogen ensures that the fruit develops fully and increased weight. The results obtained in the present study are in accordance with the findings of Jain and Tiwari (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe highest bloom intensity (40.1 in 2022, 45.1 in 2023, and 42.6 in pooled analysis), fruit weight (235 g in 2022, 238 g in 2023, and 236 g in pooled analysis), and yield per plant (21.4kg in 2022, 24.7kg in 2023, and 23.0 kg in pooled analysis) were observed in plants irrigated at 20% soil moisture depletion of field capacity, significantly surpassing all other irrigation treatments. Conversely, the lowest bloom intensity (36.1 in 2022, 41.1 in 2023, and 38.64 in pooled analysis), fruit weight (230 g in 2022, 233 g in 2023, and 231 g in pooled analysis), and yield per plant (19.2 kg in 2022, 22.1 kg in 2023, and 20.7kg in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants irrigated at 60% soil moisture depletion of field capacity. It might be due to adequate moisture supports cell expansion, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis and hormonal balance all of which are essential for healthy fruit growth and increased weight. Sharma and Chandel (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e) also obtained highest fruit weight and fruit yield with frequent irrigation in apricot.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe highest bloom intensity (41.2in 2022, 46.2in 2023, and 43.7in pooled analysis), fruit weight (236 g in 2022, 240 g in 2023, and 238 g in pooled analysis), and yield per plant (21.9kg in 2022, 25.3 kg in 2023, and 23.6 kg in pooled analysis) were observed in plants inoculated with PGPR and AMF (R\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e). In contrast, the lowest bloom intensity (35.4in 2022, 40.4in 2023, and 37.9in pooled analysis), fruit weight (228 g in 2022, 231 g in 2023, and 230 g in pooled analysis), and yield per plant (18.7kg in 2022, 21.5kg in 2023, and 20.1kg in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants without inoculation (R\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e). Supporting evidence for the above findings has also been reported by Sundriyal (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Auxins excreted by bacteria can improve root growth, resulting in increased uptake of essential nutrients and beneficial effect of \u003cem\u003eRhizophagusintraradices\u003c/em\u003e might be due to the nitrogen fixation and the supply of nutrients (Vikram, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). This is in conformity with the results obtained by Tudu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) in strawberry. Similarly, Bona et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e) inoculated the strawberry with AMF and each of the two PGPR (\u003cem\u003ePseudomonas\u003c/em\u003e) resulted in a greater production of flowers and fruits, larger fruit compared with the fruits of un-inoculated plants. The increase in weight and length of fruits under this treatment might be due to the capability of PGPR to produce plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as auxins cytokinins, gibberellins and ethylene, which in turn enhance these parameters over other treatments (Kaur et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEffect of different levels of nitrogen, irrigation regimes and soil microbes on bloom intensity and fruit weight of pomegranate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBloom intensity\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFruit weight (g)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epooled\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epooled\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil Moisture Depletion\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e45.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e235\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e238\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e236\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e232\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e236\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e234\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e36.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e230\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e233\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e231\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.98\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.76\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.73\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.76\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.86\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.85\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.85\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePGPR and AMF\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e228\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e231\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e230\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e46.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e236\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e240\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e238\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.89\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.93\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.93\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.37\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.37\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.68\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.68\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNitrogen levels\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e237\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e241\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e239\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e233\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e236\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e234\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e227\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e230\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e228\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.68\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.28\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.28\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEffect of different levels of nitrogen, irrigation regimes and soil microbes on fruit yield per plant and juice content of pomegranate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFruit yield per plant (kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eJuice content (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epooled\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epooled\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil Moisture Depletion\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e24.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e82.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e82.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e82.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e76.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e76.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e76.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.71\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.71\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.71\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.39\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.42\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.80\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.80\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.80\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePGPR and AMF\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e83.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e83.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e83.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNitrogen levels\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e24.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.31\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe highest juice content (80.7% in 2022, 80.9% in 2023, and 80.9% in pooled analysis), lowest premature fruit cracking (8.84% in 2022, 8.59% in 2023, and 8.71% in pooled analysis), highest TSS (14.1\u0026deg;Brix in 2022, 14.5\u0026deg;Brix in 2023, and 14.3\u0026deg;Brix in pooled analysis), and highest ascorbic acid content (13.4 mg/100g in 2022, 13.4 mg/100g in 2023, and 13.4 mg/100g in pooled analysis) were recorded in plants supplied with 100% nitrogen. Conversely, plants with 50% nitrogen had the lowest juice content (78.0% in 2022, 78.2% in 2023, and 78.1% in pooled analysis), highest premature fruit cracking (9.27% in 2022, 9.02% in 2023, and 9.15% in pooled analysis), lowest TSS (14.0\u0026deg;Brix in 2022, 14.4\u0026deg;Brix in 2023, and 14.2\u0026deg;Brix in pooled analysis), and lowest ascorbic acid content (13.1 mg/100g in 2022, 13.2mg/100g in 2023, and 13.1 mg/100g in pooled analysis). The increase in juice content of fruits it might be due to the fruits influenced by cell division, expansion, water retention and photosynthesis. Adequate nitrogen ensures that the arils are well-developed, hydrated and filled with juice, resulted higher juice content. The results are in conformity with the findings of Bhutani et al., (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1983\u003c/span\u003e) in plum, Singh (1988) in pomegranate. They reported more percent juice/pulp, rind and aril content in different fruit crops. Firake and Deolankar (2000) also reported similar effects of nitrogenous fertilizers in pomegranate and other fruit crops. Decrease in premature fruit cracking, it might be due to inadequate supply of nitrogen affected the cell wall strength, turgor pressure, hormonal balance and growth regulation, while adequate nitrogen is essential for healthy fruit development, excessive nitrogen can lead to rapid growth and increased internal pressure, making the peel more prone to cracking. These results are in conformity with the findings of Singh et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e), who recorded the decrease in fruit cracking with increased levels of N in pomegranate plants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerusal of data indicated that soil moisture depletion levels significantly affected juice content, premature fruit cracking, TSS, and ascorbic acid. The highest juice content (82.1% in 2022, 82.3% in 2023, 82.2% pooled), lowest premature fruit cracking (8.21% in 2022, 8.06% in 2023, 8.13% pooled), highest TSS (14.1\u0026deg;Brix in 2022, 14.4\u0026deg;Brix in 2023, 14.3\u0026deg;Brix pooled), and highest ascorbic acid (13.6mg/100g in 2022, 13.6 mg/100g in 2023, 13.6 mg/100g pooled) were recorded at 20% soil moisture depletion. The lowest juice content (76.5%, 76.6%, 76.6%), highest cracking (9.78%, 9.46%, 9.62%), lowest TSS (14.1\u0026deg;, 14.4\u0026deg;, 14.2\u0026deg;Brix), and lowest ascorbic acid (12.9, 12.9, 12.9 mg/100g) were observed at 60% depletion. It might be due to fruits influenced by cell expansion, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, osmotic balance and hormonal regulation. Adequate and consistent soil moisture supports the proper development of the arils, resulted higher juice content. The results are in conformity with the findings of Parvizi and Sepaskhah (2015) in pomegranate, results showed that juice percentage of pomegranate fruits was significantly influenced by different irrigation strategies. Decrease in premature fruit cracking, it might be due to soil moisture directly influenced the water content within fruit cells and affected turgor pressure. When soil moisture was high, water uptake by the plant increased, leading to higher turgor pressure in the cells of the arils and the peel and if peel not sufficiently elastic or strong to accommodate the increased pressure, it cracked. This is particularly common when there is a sudden increase in soil moisture after a period of drought, causing rapid water uptake and a corresponding spike in turgor pressure. Singh et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) also obtained lowest fruit cracking in pomegranate with frequent irrigation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) significantly influenced juice content, premature fruit cracking, TSS, and ascorbic acid. The highest juice content (83.4% in 2022, 83.7% in 2023, 83.5% pooled), lowest fruit cracking (8.06%, 7.86%, 7.96%), highest TSS (14.1\u0026deg;Brix, 14.5\u0026deg;Brix, 14.3\u0026deg;Brix), and highest ascorbic acid (13.8mg/100g, 13.8 mg/100g, 13.8mg/100g) were recorded in plants inoculated with PGPR and AMF (R\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e). The lowest juice content (75.5%, 75.6%, 75.5%), highest fruit cracking (9.99%, 9.69%, 9.84%), lowest TSS (14.0\u0026deg;, 14.4\u0026deg;, 14.2\u0026deg;Brix), and lowest ascorbic acid (12.8, 12.8, 12.8 mg/100g) were observed in non-inoculated plants (R\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e). It might be due to the juice content was more dependent on environmental condition during growth and development than genetic inheritance (Shaw, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1990\u003c/span\u003e). Juice content was observed in the treatment which might be due to favorable temperature humidity especially in night during fruit growth and ripening period, these finding in pomegranate are in conformity with Sharma (2002) and Neetu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). PGPR and AMF improve the plant's ability to absorb essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are vital for various metabolic processes, including carbohydrate synthesis. AMF in particular, enhances phosphorus uptake, which is crucial for energy transfer and synthesis of sugars. Theresults are accordance with finding of Belakhud et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), who reported that, the maximum TSS content in fruits was recorded with dual or single application of \u003cem\u003ePseudomonas palleroniana\u003c/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eRhizophagusintraradices\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEffect of different levels of nitrogen, irrigation regimes and soil microbes on premature fruit cracking (%) and TSS (\u0026deg;Brix) of pomegranate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePremature fruit cracking (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTSS (\u0026deg;Brix)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epooled\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epooled\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil Moisture Depletion\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.43\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.81\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.95\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.46\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.46\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.62\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.49\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.32\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.32\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.32\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePGPR and AMF\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.99\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.69\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.04\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.41\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.86\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.96\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.32\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNitrogen levels\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.59\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.71\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.32\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.97\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.72\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.47\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.02\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.40\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAscorbic acid and Bacterial population in soil\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBacterial population in the soil was significantly influenced by different nitrogen levels (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e. The highest bacterial population (42.7, 43.6, and 43.0 cfu/g soil in 2022, 2023, and pooled analysis, respectively) was observed in plants receiving 100% nitrogen. Plants with 75% nitrogen recorded slightly lower bacterial counts (42.0, 42.6, and 42.3cfu/g soil), while the lowest bacterial population (40.8, 41.4, and 41.1cfu/g soil) was found in plants treated with only 50% nitrogen. This suggests that higher nitrogen levels support greater microbial activity in the soil. Significant increase in ascorbic acid was recorded with dual or single application of PGPR and AMF, not only dual inoculation improved the quality of fruit crops, it increases the ascorbic acid content of fruits, and these findings are in line with those of Wange et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1998\u003c/span\u003e). This may be due to the fact that when plant exposed with more nitrogen, it increases protein production and carbohydrate in plant causing increase in ascorbic acid content in fruits. Similarly, Bona et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e) reveled that plants inoculated with AMF and PGPR resulted in a higher concentrations of sugar and ascorbic acid compared with the fruits of un-inoculated plants. This in conformity with findings of Sundriyal (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe bacterial population was significantly influenced by different irrigation levels. The highest bacterial count (42.9, 43.5, and 43.2cfu/g soil in 2022, 2023, and pooled analysis, respectively) was observed in plants irrigated at 20% soil moisture depletion of field capacity. This was higher than plants irrigated at 40% depletion (41.9, 42.5, and 42.2cfu/g soil). The lowest bacterial population (40.8, 41.4, and 41.1cfu/g soil) was recorded in plants irrigated at 60% depletion, indicating reduced microbial activity under higher moisture stress. Birch (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1960\u003c/span\u003e) observed that water availability in the soil, essential for biotic life functions, undergoes extreme changes, mainly in the upper soil layer. As expected, soil microbial biomass increased with the increase in soil moisture and it important for solvent convection.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe bacterial population was significantly influenced by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF). The highest bacterial population (43.4, 44.0, and 43.7cfu per g of soil in 2022, 2023, and pooled analysis, respectively) was recorded in plants inoculated with PGPR and AMF (R\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e). In contrast, the lowest bacterial population (40.3, 40.9, and 40.6 cfu per g of soil in 2022, 2023, and pooled analysis, respectively) was observed in plants without inoculation (R\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e), indicating a significant positive impact of PGPR and AMF on soil microbial activity. This enhancement might be due to the production of nutrient solubilizing enzyme by various micro-organisms (Ghazi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). Kohler et al, (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e) reported that inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improving the microbial activity in the rhizosphare of the plant.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEffect of different levels of nitrogen, irrigation regimes and soil microbes on ascorbic acid and bacterial population in soil of pomegranate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAscorbic acid (mg/100 g)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBacterial population in soil\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(CFU/ g of soil)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePooled\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePooled\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil Moisture Depletion\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eW3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.31\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.72\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePGPR and AMF\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.31\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNitrogen levels\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u0026plusmn;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLSD (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.61\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.38\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe present study highlights the significant impact of nitrogen fertilization, irrigation regimes, and soil microbial health on the growth, yield, and quality of pomegranate. Application of 100% recommended nitrogen levels (N1) enhanced plant growth, bloom intensity, fruit weight, yield, juice content, and fruit quality. Irrigating plants at 20% soil moisture depletion (W1) resulted in the best plant growth and reduced premature fruit cracking, indicating the importance of maintaining adequate moisture for optimal physiological processes. Additionally, inoculation with Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) significantly improved growth, yield, and quality, especially by enhancing nutrient uptake and root development. The combination of these factors led to a synergistic effect that maximized pomegranate productivity, making it evident that integrated management of nitrogen, irrigation, and soil microbial health is essential for improving both the yield and quality of pomegranate in arid and semi-arid regions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author would like to appreciate the technical support of the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThis research work received no external funding\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data will available on request\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeclarations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of Interest\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;Ethical Approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors are agreed to submit it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformed Consent\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore the submission of the paper, all the authors have given consent to publish.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAgrawal, S., Agrawal, N. 2005. Effect of trickle irrigation on growth, yield and quality of pomegranate cv. Ganesh in Chhattisgarh region. \u003cem\u003eMysore Journal of Agricultural Science\u003c/em\u003e 39(2): 175-181.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAI-Karaki, G.N. 2013. Benefits, cost and phosphorus use efficiency of mycorrhizal field grown garlic at different soil phosphorus levels. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Plant Nutrition\u003c/em\u003e 25(6): 1175-1184.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAnonymous. 2023-24. Horticulture Statistics at a Glance. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Horticulture Statistics Division, Government of India.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBanyal, S.K., Sharma, D., Jarial, K. 2015. Effect of nitrogen fertigation on yield and fruit quality of low chilling peaches under subtropical conditions of Himachal Pradesh. \u003cem\u003eIndian Journal of Horticulture\u003c/em\u003e 72(4): 457-460.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBelakhud, B., Bahadur, V., Prasad, V.M. 2015. Performance of strawberry (Fragaria \u0026times;ananassa Duch) varieties for yield and biochemical parameters. \u003cem\u003ePharma Innovation Journal\u003c/em\u003e 4(10): 05-08.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBhutani, V.P., Bhatia, H.S., Chopra, S.K. 1983. Effect of herbicide and nitrogen on weed control, yield and quality of Santa Rosa Plum. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Tree Science\u003c/em\u003e 2: 84-90.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBirch, H.F. 1960. Nitrification in soils after different periods of dryness. \u003cem\u003ePlant Soil\u003c/em\u003e 12: 81-96.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBona, E., Guido, L., Manassero, P., Cantamessa, S. 2014. AM fungi and PGP pseudomonaas increase flowering, fruit production and vitamin content in strawberry grown at low nitrogen and phosphorus levels. \u003cem\u003eMycorrhiza\u003c/em\u003e 25: 181\u0026ndash;193.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eCamprubi, A., Nogales, A. 2008. Response of the grapevine rootstock Richter 110 to inoculation with native and selected arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and growth performance in a replant vineyard. \u003cem\u003eMycorrhiza\u003c/em\u003e 18(4): 211-216.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDavarpanah, S., Tehranifar, A., Zarei, M., Aran, M., Davarynejad, G., Abad\u0026iacute;a, J. 2020. Early season foliar iron fertilization increases fruit yield and quality in pomegranate. \u003cem\u003eAgronomy\u003c/em\u003e 10(6): 832. DOI: 10.3390/agronomy10060832.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eFood and Agriculture Organization, 2020. \u003cem\u003eThe state of food and agriculture 2020: Overcoming water challenges in agriculture\u003c/em\u003e. FAO.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGhazi, N.A.K. 2006. Nursery inoculation of tomato with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and subsequent performance under irrigation with sterile water. \u003cem\u003eScientia Horticulturae\u003c/em\u003e 109: 1\u0026ndash;7.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGhosh, S.N., Bera, B., Roy, S., Kundu, A. 2012. Integrated nutrient management in pomegranate grown in laterite soil. \u003cem\u003eIndian Journal of Horticulture\u003c/em\u003e 69(3): 333-337.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHolland, D. 2009. Seasonal and cultivar variations in antioxidant and sensory quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Food Composition and Analysis\u003c/em\u003e 22: 189\u0026ndash;195.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eJain, P.K., Tiwari, A. 2012. Effect of irrigation systems and frequencies on growth and yield of papaya. \u003cem\u003eIndian Journal of Horticulture\u003c/em\u003e pp: 277-280.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKahramanoglu, I. 2019. Trends in pomegranate sector: Production, postharvest handling and marketing. \u003cem\u003eIndian Journal of Agriculture and Forest Life Sciences\u003c/em\u003e 3: 239\u0026ndash;246.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKang, S.Z., Hu, X.T., Goodwin, I., Jirie, P., Zhang, J. 2002. Soil water distribution, water use and yield response to partial rootzone drying under flood-irrigation condition in a pear orchard. \u003cem\u003eScientia Horticulturae\u003c/em\u003e 92: 277\u0026ndash;291. DOI: 10.1016/S0304-4238(01)00300-4.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKaur, A., Singh, R., Sinfh, H. 2017. Evaluation of strawberry cultivars for growth and yield characteristics in sub-tropical region of Punjab. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Advance Research\u003c/em\u003e 5(3): 257-264.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKohler, J., Caravaca, F., Carrasco, L., Rolden, A. 2007. Interactions between a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium, AM fungus and phosphate-solubilizing fungus in the rhizosphere of Lactuca sativa. \u003cem\u003eApplied Soil Ecology\u003c/em\u003e 35: 480\u0026ndash;487.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLansky, E.P., Newman, R.A. 2007. Punicagranatum (pomegranate) and its potential for prevention and treatment of inflammation and cancer. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Ethnopharmacology\u003c/em\u003e 109(2): 177\u0026ndash;206.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMartins, T.S.U., Jilma, S.P., Rios, J., Hingorani, L., Derendorf, M. 2006. Absorption, metabolism and antioxidant effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) polyphenol after ingestion of a standardized extract in healthy human volunteers. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Agriculture Food Chemistry\u003c/em\u003e 54: 8956\u0026ndash;8961.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMichel, D.S., et al. 2005. Effect of pomegranate juice consumption on myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary heart disease. \u003cem\u003eAmerican Journal of Cardiology\u003c/em\u003e 96: 810\u0026ndash;814.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eNeetu. 2018. Evaluation of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) cultivars in Chhattisgarh plains. M.Sc Thesis, College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwa Vidhyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Pp-92.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ePanwar, J., Tarafdar, J.C. 2006. Distribution of three endangered medicinal plant species and their colonization with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Arid Environment\u003c/em\u003e 65: 337\u0026ndash;350.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eParvizi, H., Sepaskhah, A.R., Ahmadi, S.H. 2015. Effect of drip irrigation and fertilizer regimes on fruit yields and water productivity of a pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Rabab orchard. \u003cem\u003eAgricultural Water Management\u003c/em\u003e 146: 45\u0026ndash;56.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ePourghayoumi, M., Bakhshi, D., Rahemi, M., Kamgar-Haghighi, A.A., Aalami, A. 2017. The physiological responses of various pomegranate cultivars to drought stress and recovery in order to screen for drought tolerance. \u003cem\u003eScientia Horticulturae\u003c/em\u003e 217: 164\u0026ndash;172. DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2017.01.044.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRufat, J., Arbon\u0026eacute;s, A., Villar, P., Domingo, X., Pascual, M., Villar, J.M. 2010. Effects of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on growth, yield and fruit quality parameters of peaches for processing. \u003cem\u003eActa Horticultura\u003c/em\u003e 868: 87-93.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSharma, N.C., Chandel, J.S. 2005. Effect of different levels of irrigation regimes on yield, fruit quality and leaf nutrient status of apricot. \u003cem\u003eProgressive Horticulture\u003c/em\u003e 37(1): 78-81.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSharma, R.R. 2002. Growing Strawberries. International Book Distributing Company, Charbagh, Lucknow-226004, U.P. (India), pp. 1-33.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eShaw, D.V. 1990. Response to selection and associated changes in genetic variance for soluble solids and titratable acids contents in strawberries. \u003cem\u003eJournal of the American Society for Horticultural Science\u003c/em\u003e 115: 839-843.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSingh, A., Shukla, A.K., Meghwal, P.R. 2020. Fruit Cracking in Pomegranate: Extent, Cause, and Management \u0026ndash; A Review. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Fruit Science\u003c/em\u003e 20(3): 1234-1253.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSinha, R., Karuna, K., Ahmad, M.F., Prasad, M., Singh, G., Mankar, A. 2019. Effect of fertigation on granulation in kinnow mandarin. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry\u003c/em\u003e 8(3): 2648-2651.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eStover, E., Mercure, E.W. 2007. The Pomegranate: A New Look at the Fruit of Paradise. \u003cem\u003eHortScience\u003c/em\u003e 42: 1088\u0026ndash;1092.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSundriyal, N. 2018. Inoculation of microbial culture for the promotion of horticultural traits in strawberry genotype (Fragaria \u0026times; ananassavar. Confiture) growing in Uttarakhand temperate Himalayan region. M.Sc Thesis, V.C.S.G.U.U.H.F. Bharasar, Pauri Garhwal (Uttarakhand) India. Pp-83.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eTaha, A. 2018. Assessment of different ETO-dependent irrigation levels for pomegranate on saving water and energy and maximizing farm income. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering, Mansoura University\u003c/em\u003e 9(11): 657\u0026ndash;665. DOI: 10.21608/jssae.2018.36461.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eTavousi, M., Kaveh, F., Alizadeh, A., Babazadeh, H., Tehranifar, A. 2015. Effects of drought and salinity on yield and water use efficiency in pomegranate tree. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Materials and Environmental Science\u003c/em\u003e 6(7): 1975\u0026ndash;1980.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eTer\u0026aacute;n, F., Vives‐Peris, V., G\u0026oacute;mez‐Cadenas, A., P\u0026eacute;rez‐Clemente, R.M. 2024. Facing climate change: Plant stress mitigation strategies in agriculture. \u003cem\u003ePhysiologia Plantarum\u003c/em\u003e 176(4), e14484.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eTudu, S. 2013. Effect of organic sources of nutrients on growth, yield and quality of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch) cv. Douglas. M.Sc (Horticulture) Thesis, Birsa Agriculture University, Ranchi, Jharkhand. Pp-117.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eVikram, A. 2007. Efficacy of phosphate solubilizing bacteria isolated from vertisols on growth and yield parameters of sorghum. \u003cem\u003eResearch Journal of Microbiology\u003c/em\u003e 2: 550\u0026ndash;559.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWange, S.S., Patil, M.T., Singh, B.R. 1998. Cultivar \u0026times; biofertilizers interaction study in strawberry. \u003cem\u003eRecent Horticulture\u003c/em\u003e 4: 43-44.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eYuan, Z.H., Wilkins, E., Wang, W. 2015. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits. \u003cem\u003eInternational Society of Horticultural Science, Leuven, Belgium\u003c/em\u003e, p. 493.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-applied-sciences","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Applied Sciences](https://link.springer.com/journal/42452)","snPcode":"42452","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/42452/3","title":"Discover Applied Sciences","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Pomegranate, nitrogen, irrigation regimes, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7487405/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7487405/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eA field experiment was conducted at the Instructional Farm, Agricultural Research Sub-Station, Sumerpur, Pali, during 2022-23 and 2023-24, titled \"Synergistic effects of nitrogen fertilization, irrigation regimes, and soil microbial health on pomegranate growth and quality\u0026rdquo;. The experiment consists eighteen treatments which were laid out in split plot design with three replications. In different levels of nitrogen and irrigation, there were three levels of nitrogen \u003cem\u003ei.e.\u003c/em\u003e N\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e(100%), N\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e(75%) and N\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e(50%) of RDF and three levels of irrigation \u003cem\u003ei.e.\u003c/em\u003e W\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e(20%), W\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e(40%) and W\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e(60%) of soil moisture depletion of field capacity. The results revealed that application of 100 per cent nitrogen (N\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e) and irrigation at 20 per cent (W\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e) soil moisture depletion of field capacity resulted enhance plant height (2.96 m), annual shoot growth (30.3 cm), bloom intensity (42.6), fruit weight (239 g), fruit yield per plant (23 kg), juice content (82%), ascorbic acid (13.6 mg/100g) and bacterial population in soil (43.18 cfu/g of soil) along with minimum premature fruit cracking (8.06%) of the fruits. Whereas, TSS content was maximum (14.3 Brix) in 100 per cent nitrogen and irrigated at 60 per cent soil moisture depletion of field capacity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results on soil microbial inoculation of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, there were two levels of soil microbial inoculation \u003cem\u003ei.e.\u003c/em\u003e R\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (plant inoculated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) and R\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e (plant without inoculation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi). The results revealed that plants inoculated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi resulted enhance plant height (2.98 m), annual shoot growth (31.1 cm), bloom intensity (43.7), fruit weight (238 g), fruit yield per plant (23.6 kg), juice content (83.5%), ascorbic acid (13.8 mg/100g) and bacterial population in soil (43.7 cfu/g of soil) along with minimum premature fruit cracking (7.96%) of the fruits. Whereas, TSS content was maximum (14.32 Brix) of the fruits as compare to the plant which was without inoculation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Synergistic effects of nitrogen fertilization, irrigation regimes, and soil microbial health on pomegranate growth and quality","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-06 06:06:38","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7487405/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-10-28T15:17:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-08T10:35:42+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-03T21:07:39+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"127335203928034199056643785210116067016","date":"2025-10-02T18:24:30+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"303946824089934394895988029972174358146","date":"2025-10-01T07:54:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-30T17:57:14+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"63977367865646883108023398167772054186","date":"2025-09-30T17:10:35+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"269313244464257227273945223042700049575","date":"2025-09-30T15:04:04+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"128638533714288584614057812706301960278","date":"2025-09-24T12:39:33+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-23T17:59:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-15T16:19:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-09-02T08:11:26+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-09-02T08:08:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Applied Sciences","date":"2025-08-29T09:51:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-applied-sciences","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Applied Sciences](https://link.springer.com/journal/42452)","snPcode":"42452","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/42452/3","title":"Discover Applied Sciences","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"c855e5c0-dcb8-4266-b4a6-a0bc1fb8573e","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 6th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-09T15:25:28+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-06 06:06:38","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7487405","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7487405","identity":"rs-7487405","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}