Effect of fertilizers on growth and development of seedlings of Mesua ferrea Linn

Treatments with diverse concentrations of ammonium nitrate and superphosphate were given to young seedlings of Mesua ferrea with a view to augment the seedling growth and productivity of the species. Length decreased in the seedlings treated with ammonium nitrate. While showing decrease in dry weight significant decrease was also observed in the shoot and root fresh weight which shows that ammonium nitrate has inhibitory effect on the growth of M ferrea seedlings. The interaction of sub-toxic levels of different elements in the soil may be accounted for the successive reduction in growth rate. The growth of roots was hampered by both ammonium nitrate and superphosphate at higher concentrations. While ammonium nitrate treated seedlings did not show noteworthy variation in shoot length at diverse concentration shoot growth was better under superphosphate treatment. Thus for enhanced establishment of M ferrea seedlings under nursery conditions the study suggests the use of >5% superphosphate and <1% ammonium nitrate.