EFFECT OF POTASSIUM ON NODULATION, GROWTH AND YIELD OF SOYBEAN

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from December, 2019 to March 2020 to study the effect of potassium on the nodulation, growth and yield of soybean. The experiment comprised of seven levels of potassium - T 0 - 0 kg K ha -1 (control), T 1 ii

- 20 kg K ha -1 , T 2 - 40 kg K ha - 60 kg K ha -1 , T 4 - 80 kg K ha -1 , T 5 - 100 kg K ha -1 , T 6 - 120 kg K ha -1 . The single factors experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. For K fertilizer, the maximum number of nodules (8.0) was found from T 4 (80 kg K ha -1 ) treatment, while the minimum number of nodules (2.0) was found from T 0 (0 kg K ha -1 ) treatment. The highest growth rates were found from T 4 (80 kg K ha -1 ) treatment and lowest growth rates were found from T 1 ) treatment and T 0 (0 kg K ha -1 ) treatment respectively. The highest seed yield (2.63 t ha-1) was observed from T 4 (80 kg K ha -1 ) treatment and the lowest seed yield (0.9 t ha-1) was observed from T 0 (0 kg K ha -1 ) treatment. The highest stover yield (4.00 t ha -1 ) was found from T 5 (100 kg K ha -1 ) treatment whereas the lowest stover yield (2.06 t ha-1) from T 0 (0 kg K ha -1 ) treatment. The maximum harvest index (46.26%) was observed from T 4 (80 kg K ha -1 -1 , T 3 (20 kg K ha ) treatment and the minimum (43.18%) from T 6

(120 kg K ha -1 ) treatment. Application of 80 kg K ha -1 can be more beneficial for the farmers to get maximum yield and as well as economic return from the cultivation of soybean.