Effect of tillage practices and fertilizer management on the growth and nitrogen efficiency in soybean

Abstract

A field experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of tillage systems and fertilizer management on the growth and nutrient uptake in soybean. The plant height, fresh weight and dry weight of conventional tillage (CT) were much higher those observed for no-tillage (NT). The highest plant height (128.47 cm) was observed in CT with chemical fertilizer. The plant nitrate concentration was higher (2.29%) in NT with green manure than chemical fertilization. However, nitrogen increased steadily in all treatments, and the highest quantity of total nitrogen (476.7 Kg/ha) was observed in NT with green manure. The NO3-N content in the soil decreased gradually just after the vegetative stage. Tillage practices and additional fertilizer application was less effective on the uptake of N, P and K in soybean seeds as compared to NT with green manure. The results postulated that NT strategies with fertilizers might influence the growth characteristics and mineral uptake in soybean.