Evaluation of the Effect of Different Pot Sizes and Growing Media on the Seedling Growth Morphology of Cajanus Cajan and Sesbania Sesban in Dryland Areas, Southern Parts of Ethiopia

Abstract

The experiment conducted at the site of Yabello Pastoral and Dryland Agriculture Research Center Nursery in Ethiopia aims at evaluating the effect of different pot size and nursery growing media on the growth of the 3 months seedlings of Cajanus cajan and Sesbania sesban. Six potting media of Agricultural soil, forest soil and animal manure in a ratio of 4:1:0, 2:1:0,3:2:0,1:3:0,1:5:0 and 1:1:1 respectively that were mixed in two pot sizes of 8cm and 10cm diameter of  14cm length each were all used. A complete randomize block design were used with pots as block and media as treatment on a basis of 2x6 factorial design with three replications. Physicochemical analyses were also performed to investigate the nutrients content of the different growing media. Seedling growth and development parameters such as the number of leaves, root collar diameter, plant height, root length, root weight, shoot weight and root to shoot ratio were measured. It was observed that both pot size and growing media had significant effects (P < 0.05) on the growth and development of both seedlings species. There were also a significant (P < 0.05) interaction effects between pot size and growing media for both seedlings. In a smaller pot size, the growth of both Cajanus cajan and Sesbania sesban were significantly higher in a growing medium of 2:1:0 (ratio of agricultural soil, forest soil and animal manure) compared to others growing medium. However, in a large pot size, the growth of Cajanus cajan was relatively better in the growing media of 1:1:1 than others growing media. In the same pot size type, the growth of Sesbania sesban was also relatively better in a growing medium of 1:5:0 compared to others growing medium. Further studies should be directed towards assessing the effect of different substrates of high nutrients on pot size along with a study on seedling survival after transplanting. This has to do with the fact that the nutrients found in forest soil of Yabello district were very small.

Keywords: Cajanus cajan, growing medium, Nursery, pot size, Sesbania sesban, Substrate