Effect of silicon fertilization on growth and yield of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] in a vertisol

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, to study the effect of silicon fertilization on growth and yield of soybean in a Vertisol during kharif 2018. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with nine treatments replicated thrice. The treatments included were two soil (25 and 50 kg ha-1), two foliar (0.25 and 0.50 %) application rates of silicon and their combinations with one control. The results revealed that soil application of silicon @ 25 kg ha-1 + foliar application of silicon @ 0.25 per cent improved the growth parameters viz., number of leaves (27.47) and chlorophyll content (49.40) plant-1 at 60 DAS (days after sowing) and effective nodules plant-1 (19.73) at 50 DAS and yield parameters viz., number of pods (39.87), pod weight (24.21 g) plant-1 and 100-seed weight (14.97 g). A significant increase in seed (14.84 q ha-1) and haulm (19.72 q ha-1) yields were recorded with soil (25 kg ha-1) + foliar (0.25 %) application of silicon and the lowest seed (12.86 q ha-1) and haulm (17.68 q ha-1) yields were recorded in the control. It can be concluded that combination of soil application of silicon (25 kg ha-1) at the time of sowing and foliar (0.25 %) at 30 DAS along with RPP (recommended package of practice) recorded highest soybean yield in a Vertisol.