Effect of Phosphogypsum on Growth and Yield of Soybean

A field investigation entitled “Effect of phosphogypsum on growth and yield of soybean” was carried out to find to its effect on growth, yield and nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulphur and calcium uptake by the soybean crops. The field experiment was conducted at Agronomy farm, College of Agriculture Nagpur, during kharif season of 2013–14 on soybean variety NRC-37. The experiment was laid out in factorial Randomized Block Design with twelve treatment combination consisting of three treatment of fertilizer application as A factor viz. F₁(75%RDF), F₂(100% RDF), F₃ (125% RDF) and four treatment of phosphogypsum as B factor viz. PG₁ (75 kg ha⁻¹ phosphogypsum), PG₂ (100 kg ha⁻¹phosphogypsum), PG₃ (125 kg ha⁻¹phosphogypsum), PG₄(150 kg ha⁻¹ phosphogypsum). Various fertilizer and phosphogypsum application treatments significantly influenced growth and yield of soybean. Fertilizer treatment comprising of 125% RDF recorded significantly higher plant height, no. of branches, dry matter accumulation and yield contributing characters such as number of pod plant⁻¹, seed yield per plant, 100 seed weight, seed yield (q ha⁻¹), straw yield (q ha⁻¹) over 75%RDF. Phosphogypsum application treatments also showed significant influence on growth and yield of soybean. The treatment PG₄(150 kg ha⁻¹phosphogypsum) recorded significantly higher values of growth as well as yield contributing characters as compared to other Phosphogypsum treatments.