Effects of Fertilizer, Lime and Organic Manure on the Nodulation and Growth of Soybean (GLYCYNE MAX(L) MERRILL) in South Eastern Nigeria

A BST RA CT

Green house experiment was conducted to study the effects of organic manure, lime and inorganic fertilizer on the nodulation and growth of Soybean (Glycine max(L) merrill) on an acid ultisol in southeastern Nigeria. The organic manure was poultry manure, the lime was commercial lime and the inorganic fertilizer was NPK(15 : 15: 15). There were 7 treatments and a control. The treatments were 100kg/ha inorganic fertilizer (NPK 15: 15: 15)(F1 );200kglhainorganicfertilizcr(NPK 15: 15: 15)(F2); 1 ton/halime (F3), 2 tons/ha organic manure (F4); 100kg/ha inorganic fertilizer (NPK 15: 15: 15), 1 ton/ha lime, and 2 tons/ha organic manure (F5); 200 kg/ha inorganic fertilizer NPK (15 : 15 : 15), 1 ton/ha lime and 2 tons/ha organic manure (F4) and I ton/ha lime and 2 tons/ha organic mauure (F7). The control receive zero application of inorganic fertilizer NPK (15: 15: 15), organic manure and lime. The results indicated that the nodulation and growth of Soybean were significantly(P< 0.05) affected by organic manure, inorganic fertilizer and lime. Organic manure was found to be more effective for nodulation and growth when compared with the other treatments. Variations in all the parameters (Plant height, shoot dry weight, nodule number, nodule dry weight, leaf number and percentage active nodules) measured for the nodulation and growth were generally of the order ofF4 > F(> 1 7F5 > F2> F1> F0 > F3. While F4promoted nodulation and growth,.,F2and F1made no significant increases and F3 reduced nodulation and growth when compared with the control. The combination of lime, organic manure and inorganic fertilizer also enhanced nodulation and growth with F6having the highest performance.