The Effect of Cattle Manure Enriched With ERP Fertilizer on Seed Yield of Soybean (Glycine max) in Sandy Regosol

The experiment was carried out in the Eastern region of Sri Lanka to evaluate the effect of cattle manure with different levels of rock phosphate application on seed yield of soybean (Glycine max) in sandy regosol. The air dried cattle manure (CM) (10 t/ha) with ERP fertilizer (eppawela rock phosphate) at 0-100 kg/ha and also recommended chemical fertilizers as a control were applied two weeks and two days before sowing respectively as a basal fertilizer application. The six treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The yield response to each treatment was observed at the harvesting stage. The results revealed that significant differences (P<0.01) were noted in the pod number as well as dry weights of pods and seeds among the treatments. The number of effective nodules was significantly increased with increasing rate of phosphate application after 6 weeks of sowing. Highest mean values of pod number (41.9) and dry weights of pods (16.92 g) and seeds (11.67 g) per plant were significantly (P<0.05) recorded in CM with ERP at 50 kg/ha. Maximum seed yield (4.21 t/ha) was remarkably achieved by cattle manure (10 t/ha) with ERP at 50 kg/ha followed by the control treatment (4.10 t/ha). Thus, it was significantly (P<0.01) resulted the high value of economical yield of soybean with the application of locally available cattle manure plus naturally occurring ERP fertilizer at the moderate level. Journal of Food and Agriculture 2010 Vol. 03, No. 1 & 2, Page 24-30 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jfa.v3i1-2.516