. 2022 Nov 7;13:996220. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.996220

TABLE 4.

Effect of graded B levels on microbial populations in soil under cauliflower-cowpea-okra cropping system (Pooled data 2015–2017).

B-levels (kg ha^–1)	Total actinomycetes population (cfu g^–1 soil)			Total bacterial population (cfu g^–1 soil)			Total fungal population (cfu g^–1 soil)
	Vegetative stage
	Cauliflower	Cowpea	Okra	Cauliflower	Cowpea	Okra	Cauliflower	Cowpea	Okra
B₀	16.44^c	18.51^c	17.18^d	7.30^c	8.59^c	7.49^c	14.14^c	16.81^c	17.20^bc
B_0.5	17.56^bc	19.62^bc	18.31^c	7.97^bc	9.83^bc	8.27^bc	14.50^b	17.02^b	17.52^b
B_1.0	18.62^b	20.71^b	19.39^ab	8.15^b	10.80^bc	8.47^b	15.10^ab	17.31^ab	17.71^b
B_1.5	19.69^ab	21.79^b	20.45^ab	8.31^ab	11.79^ab	8.65^ab	15.41^ab	17.53^ab	17.92^ab
B_2.0	20.77^a	22.88^a	21.52^a	8.74^a	12.84^a	8.84^a	15.82^a	17.72^a	18.30^a
Mean	18.62	20.70	19.37	8.69	10.77	10.52	16.73	17.45	17.73

	Reproductive stage in different crops^*
	Cauliflower	Cowpea	Okra	Cauliflower	Cowpea	Okra	Cauliflower	Cowpea	Okra
	Cis	Fls	Frs	Cis	Fls	Frs	Cis	Fls	Frs

B₀	16.47^c	19.64^c	17.44^c	7.38^c	9.01^c	8.57^c	14.09^c	19.61^c	17.33^c
B_0.5	17.61^b	20.77^ab	18.55^bc	8.04^bc	10.08^bc	9.04^bc	16.41^b	20.12^b	17.51^b
B_1.0	18.68^ab	21.85^ab	19.63^bc	8.31^bc	10.30^b	9.27^b	16.70^b	20.36^ab	17.72^b
B_1.5	19.8^ab	22.94^a	20.71^ab	8.63^b	10.61^b	9.45^ab	17.02^b	20.52^ab	17.90^ab
B_2.0	20.88^a	23.02^a	21.82^a	8.94^a	10.87^a	9.67^a	17.31^a	20.75^a	18.14^a
Mean	18.69	21.64	19.63	9.44	11.37	11.18	16.48	20.31	17.72

	Maturity stage
	Cauliflower	Cowpea	Okra	Cauliflower	Cowpea	Okra	Cauliflower	Cowpea	Okra

B₀	16.3^c	18.88^c	17.24^d	7.41^c	9.78^c	9.68^c	15.12^c	20.17^c	17.72^b
B_0.5	17.41^bc	19.99^bc	18.37^c	8.15^b	10.13^bc	10.01^b	16.85^bc	20.82^bc	18.0^ab
B_1.0	18.49^b	20.07^bc	19.45^bc	8.59^ab	10.24^ab	10.21^ab	17.13^ab	21.01^ab	18.21^ab
B_1.5	19.59^ab	21.15^b	20.54^b	9.81^b	10.47^ab	10.42^b	17.32^ab	21.25^a	18.42^ab
B_2.0	20.70^a	22.24^a	21.62^a	10.10^a	10.68^a	10.67^a	17.65^a	21.42^a	18.71^a
Mean	20.47	19.44	9.67	11.88	11.84	16.81	20.99	18.21	20.47

*Cis, curd initiation stage in cauliflower; Fls, flowering stage in cowpea; Frs, fruiting stage in okra. The means followed by a different letter are significantly different at p ≤ 0.05 by Duncan’s multiple range test (values are means of 3-replicates).