Response of soybean (Glycine max l.) to establishment methods, foliar nutrition and application schedules
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Date
2022-08
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, District Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. PIN - 263145
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted at E2 Block of Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) during kharif (2020-21) to study the response of soybean to establishment methods (flat bed and ridge sowing), foliar nutrition (NPK and seaweed extract) and application schedules (vegetative + pod filling stage and flowering + pod filling stage). The soil of the experimental site was silty clay loam in texture with neutral pH (7.3), medium in organic carbon (0.72 %), low in available nitrogen (219 kg ha-1) and medium in availability of phosphorus (12.4 kg ha-1) and potassium (150 kg ha-1). The experiment was laid out in Factorial randomized block design with single control, replicated three times having total nine treatments. The flat bed sowing with conventional practices was treated as standard control. Sowing was done at 60 cm rows apart using 80 kg seed ha-1. Soybean variety PS 1225 was used in the present study. Leaf nutrient contents were estimated 10 days after making the spray. Emergence count was comparable in two establishment methods. Growth parameters viz. plant height, plant dry matter, number of trifoliate leaves and number of branches, number of unfilled pods per plant, biological yield and straw yield were higher under flat bed method of sowing, while chlorophyll content, leaf nutrient status (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium); yield attributing characters (i.e., pods per plant, grains per pod, grains per plant, weight of hundred grains), grain yield, harvest index, gross return, net return and benefit:cost ratio were higher under ridge sowing. The cost of cultivation was higher with ridge sowing over flat bed sowing and NPK spray over spray of seaweed extract. As compared to two sprays at vegetative + pod filling stages, the growth parameters, chlorophyll content in leaves, leaf nutrient status, yield attributing characters, yield were significantly more with two sprays at flowering and pod filling stages. Between foliar nutrients used, 2 % NPK (water soluble fertilizer) was found superior to seaweed extract in all respects viz., growth parameters, yield and yield attributes and leaf nutrient contents. As compared to standard practice of soybean cultivation (recommended NPK), all the treated plots produced higher growth, yield and yield attributes. Thus in northern India sowing on ridges with two foliar spray of 2 % NPK at flowering and pod filling stage can augment the performance of soybean in silty clay loam soil.