Effect of NPK Fertilizers on Growth And Biomass Production of Terminalia Arjuna Bedd. At Seedling Stage
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Date
2001
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Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi
Abstract
At the time of plantation usually healthy seedlings are preferred, but it is not possible to get all the seedling healthy, which has bearing on future growth of plantations. Artificial supply of inorganic nutrients is an establishment practice in agriculture for producing vigorous crops, but its adoption in forestry is of a very recent origin. Therefore, it is required to conduct research work on the use of various fertilizers in forestry for producing healthy and vigorous seedlings and to minimize the number of days during nursery period. Keeping this hypothesis in mind an experiment was conducted to find out the effect of urea, SSP and MOP to produce healthy seedlings of Terminalia arjuna Bedd. in nursery. For this, the three fertilizers viz., Urea, SSP and MOP were used in different doses individually or in combinations. The different doses of urea and SSP were 50, 100 and 150 mg per seedling while MOP were 25, 50 and 75 mg per seedlings. In this way 15 treatments including control (untreated seedling) were applied in C.R.D. with three replications at nursery site of Faculty of Forestry, B.A.U., Kanke, Ranchi (Jharkhand). The two fertilizers, i.e. SSP and MOP were applied as basal dose at the time tube filling and seed sowing, while urea was applied in three split doses starting from seed sowing to the end of first month. The different growth parameter such as seedling height, collar diameter, leaf area, root-shoot ratio, dry biomass etc, were measured from the end of 2nd months to the 7th month. The statistical analysis of all growth data has shown significance differences between treatments and control.
Maximum survival percentage (92%) of the seedlings was recorded at the end of 7th month in comparison to the untreated seedlings. Maximum seedling height at the end of 7th month was found in case of N₁P100K (33.05 cm) followed by NPS (27.92 cm) and minimum value was recorded in P50 (20.85 cm). In case of collar diameter, similar trend is noticed, i.e. maximum collar diameter by N₁00P100K (0.56 cm) and lowest by P. (0.42 cm). The leaf area and leaf number measured per seedling have provided maximum value of 2.79 cm² and 18.16 by N.P.K... Respectively, while lowest values were 1.79 cm² and 10.55 respectively by N