Biological nitrogen fixation is the most important eco-friendly approach to nitrogenous fertilizer management in the rhizosphere.Rhizobiumis considered the most important symbiotic N-fixing microorganism. Native strains ofRhizobiumperform better than the non-native strains by getting ambient conditions for growth and proliferation. Native strains enhance the soil fertility and productivity of pulses. The study was carried out in three phases, i.e., pot experiment, field experiment, and farmers’ field demonstrations. In a pot experiment, two isolated rhizobia were inoculated to seeds of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and applied with and without lime to evaluate crop growth, photosynthetic activity, and nodule characteristics of the target crop. In the field, strains were inoculated to seeds of French bean, which received different combinations of inputs— inorganic fertilizers, lime, and boron— to study the influence of native stains on crop productivity and agronomic efficiency. In comparison to non-limed packaging, the amounts of chlorophylla, chlorophyllb, total chlorophyll, and chlorophylla:bwere, respectively, 13% to 30%, 1% to 15%, 10% to 27%, and 1% to 20% greater in limed packages. In limed packages compared to non-limed packages, the root length, biomass, density, and growth rate were increased by 16% to 17%, 36% to 52%, 38% to 49%, and 36% to 52%, respectively. In contrast to non-limed packages, limed packages had nodule attributes like the number of nodules per plant and nodular weight, which were 28% to 41% and 33% to 37% greater, respectively. Inoculation of native rhizobia strains with liming to acid soil increased 46% to 72% of leaf nitrogen content over non-limed rhizobia inoculated packages. In a field experiment, the adoption of soil test-based fertilizer application had an advantage of 25% in pod yield over farmers’ practice. Acid soil amelioration with lime improved pod yield from 14% to 39% over non-limed packages. Farmers’ field demonstration recorded the highest pod yield in the package where seeds were inoculated with S2 (RBHR-21) strain added with soil test-based fertilizers (STD) followed by STD + S1 (RBHR-15) with 98% and 84% increase over farmers’ practice. However, experimental evidence favored using both strains for bio-inoculation of the French bean crop.

Strong and healthy saplings are a prerequisite to establish a successful forest. Therefore, an attempt has been made to develop the best package for nutrient supplementation to raise healthy Acacia mangium saplings, especially in acidic soil. The seeds were sown in pots, receiving different combinations of Arbuscularmycorrhizal (AM), Rhizobium inoculation with application of lime, and mustard oil cake (MOC). The highest spore count and infection percentage (3220 kg⁻¹ soil and 69) were recorded in the AM + MOC + R treated pot, whereas the lowest (2553 kg⁻¹ soil and 37) were recorded in the AM + L treated pot. Nitrogen concentration and uptake in the sapling were higher in the Rhizobium-inoculated treatments than the uninoculated ones. The sulfur concentration and uptake were higher in the MOC-supplemented treatment. Similarly, the P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations and uptakes were higher in the limed treatments than the unlimed ones. The micronutrient concentration and uptake were higher in the unlimed treatments compared to the lime practice. The concentration of N in Rhizobium-treated pots, P and K in lime-treated pots, and S in MOC-treated pots were increased, whereas the soil pH decreased in all treatments except in the integrated package (AM + MOC + R + L) after 120 days. The Ca and Mg were reduced in all treatments, whereas micronutrients were reduced in all packages except the control. Under different nutrient management practices, plant height and stem girth continuously increased by 9.5 to 12 cm and 3 to 4 times, respectively. The production of robust saplings required integrated application of lime, MOC, AM, and Rhizobium in an acid soil that facilitated better root growth with availability of adequate nutrients for saplings.