Impact of Chemical Fertilizer and Organic Manure on the Germination and Growth of Soybean (Glycine max L.)

Abstract

After green revolution chemical fertilizers has been used at a great extent in all the crops which decrease the fertility and profile of the soil. Due to various side effects of chemical fertilizers, use of organic fertilizers is an alternative method for the improvement of crop production and maintenance of soil fertility. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of chemical fertilizer and organic manure on the growth of soybean crop. A total of ten different treatments of both organic manure and chemical fertilizer were used. The various parameters - seed germination, seedling survival, root length and shoot length and seedling height was measured in the present investigation. The results revealed that germination percentage showed increment in nearly all the treatments as compared to the control sets except at highest dose of NPK fertilizer which showed little decrease in germination percentage and was found maximum (97.33%) at optimum dose of vermicompost. The results also showed that survival rate was higher in all treatments than control except at the highest dose of NPK fertilizer in which the survival rate was found minimum (74.38%).Also the root length and seedling height was maximum at the optimum dose of Vermicompost (20%) treated plants and was found minimum in the highest dose (300gm) of NPK fertilizer. The results revealed that the chemical fertilizers at higher doses have deleterious effects on plant growth and development. Organic manures at very high doses checks plant growth but vermicompost had no side effects even at higher doses.

Keywords: Vermicompost, NPK, FYM, Soybean, Germination