Effect of conventional and natural sources of nutrients on growth and yield of soybean

Introduction

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is an important oilseed pulse crop of the world and stands out due to its dual role as an oilseed and pulse crop. It is a rich source of high-quality protein (about 40-42%) and cholesterol-free oil (around 20%), and contains essential amino acids, vitamins (A, B-complex, C, D, E, K), and minerals. Known as the "Golden Crop" or "Miracle Crop of the 21st Century," soybean has become a staple in both the food and industrial sectors. Its adaptability, high yield potential and soil-enriching characteristics make it central to sustainable agriculture in India. In 2023, global soybean production reached 371.18 million tonnes across 136.91 million hectares. Brazil, USA, Argentina, China, and India are the top five producers. India contributes about 4% to the global output, with major soybean producing states being Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Telangana (Agricultural Market Intelligence Centre, PJTSAU, 2025) [7] . One such approach is the effectiveness of conventional mineral fertilizers. The integration of some natural nutrient sources such as Jeevamrut, Bijamrut, Ghanjivamrut, compost, vermicompost, and biofertilizers like the Bio-NP consortium (Rhizobium + PSB) has gained significant importance in promoting sustainable crop production. Jeevamrut improves nutrient solubilization, boosts plant vigour and enhances immunity (Devakumar et al., 2014) [2] . These organic inputs not only contribute to nutrient recycling but also improve soil structure, enhance microbial activity and support long-term soil health key elements of ecological and agronomic sustainability.

Materials and Methods

A field experiment was conducted India during kharif season of the year 2025 to Study the effect of conventional and natural sources of nutrients on growth and yield of soybean at Agronomy Farm (22˚35′ N, 72˚55′ E), B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat situated at an elevation of 45.1 m above sea level. The initial soil pH was 8.13, EC-0.16 dSm-1, Organic Carbon-0.37%, available nitrogen -216 kg/ha, available Phosphorus -39.41 kg/ha and available Potassium-223 kg/ha. The soil was loamy sand in texture, moderately alkaline in reaction, low in available nitrogen, medium phosphorus and sufficient in available potassium. The field experiment was carried out on soybean crop (Variety NRC -37) in kharif season during year 2025. After completion of preparatory tillage operations, the experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design comprising (12) treatments and replicated (3) times.

Treatments details

Twelve treatments were formulated to evaluate the effect of conventional and natural sources of nutrients on growth and yield of soybean. The details of treatment are as follows

The details of treatment are as follows

Results and Discussion

Effect of different source of nutrients on growth of soybean Plant height

The data regarding plant height (cm) recorded at periodical intervals to assess the changes in growth of soybean as influenced by different treatments is furnished in Table 1. The data revealed that plant height exhibited variation across all periodical growth stages in response to the various treatments. At 30 DAS, plant height showed variation among the treatments, ranging from 29.02 to 32.66 cm. However, the differences were found to be statistically non-significant, indicating a similar effect of all treatments on early plant growth. (2020) [3] . Higher plant height observed under the application of Jivamrut and Ghanjivamrut might be attributed to improved hormonal and enzymatic activities, which enhanced cell division and cell elongation in plants also reported by Devakumar et al. (2018) [1] . [3] , Singh and Uppal (2025) [6] .

Effect of different source of nutrients on yield of soybean Seed yield

The data pertaining to seed yield yield of soybean (kg/ha) as influenced by different treatments are presented in Table 3. The results revealed that various nutrient management treatments exerted a significant effect on seed yield of soybean. Among different treatments, treatment T₈ (Ghanijivamrut 4 t/ha) recorded significantly higher seed yield of 1971 kg/ha. However, it did not differ significantly from treatment T₄ (50% RDF + FYM [3] and Patil and Udmale (2016) [5] . Higher stover yield under these treatments might be attributed to better vegetative growth, higher dry matter accumulation and improved nutrient availability throughout the crop growth period due to integrated use of organic and inorganic nutrient sources.

Treatment T₉ (Seed treatment of Bio-NP consortium (Rhizobium + PSB) + Ghanijivamrut 2 t/ha) recorded significantly lower stover yield of 2323 kg/ha followed by treatment T₃ (Seed treatment of Bijamrut + 50% RDF) (2330 kg/ha) and T₅ (FYM 4 t/ha) (2392 kg/ha). The increase in stover yield of soybean might be due to better growth parameters such as plant height and number of branches per plant. These favourable growth conditions enhanced the utilization of available resources and increased photosynthesis and dry matter production, resulting in higher stover yield. These results are in compliance with the finding of Jagdale et al. (2020) [3] and Patil and Udmale (2016) [5] .

Conclusion

Application of Ghanjivamrut (4 t/ha) enhanced growth, higher yield attributes, seed yield and stover yield of soybean followed by 50% RDF+ FYM 1t/ha + Ghanjivamrut 1 t/ha and seed treatment of Bio-NP consortium (Rhizobium + PSB) + FYM 2 t/ha.

References

1. Devakumar N, Lavanya G, Rao GGE. Influence of Jivamrut and Panchagavya on beneficial soil microbial population and yield of organic field bean (Dolichos lablab L.). Mysore Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 2018;52(4):790-795.
2. Devakumar N, Rao GGE, Shubha S, Rao YS. Microbial dynamics and biochemical characteristics of soil and yield of groundnut under organic nutrient management practices. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 2014;27(1):1418.
3. Jagdale A, Dhamak A, Pagar B. Effect of different organic formulations on yield and quality of soybean. International Journal of Chemical Studies. 2020;7(5):2963-2966.
4. Laharia GS, Patil DU, Damre PK. Effect of organic sources on soil fertility, nutrient uptake and yield of soybean. Crop Research. 2013;45(1-3):155-159.
5. Patil HM, Udmale KB. Response of different organic inputs on growth and yield of soybean on Inceptisol. International Journal of Recent Scientific Research. 2016;7(11):1411614120.
6. Singh B, Uppal SR. Impact of organic manure and inorganic fertilizers on the growth dynamics of soybean. Frontiers in Crop Improvement. 2025;13(1):11-16.
7. Agricultural Market Intelligence Centre, PJTSAU. Soybean outlook. January 2025. 2025. p. 1-4.