Effect of phosphorus and lime on the growth attributes and yield Stylosanthes gracilis Swartz

Abstract

A field experiment conducted to study the effect of graded doses of phosphorus (0,40, 80, 120 and 160 kg/ha ) on the growth attributes, green and dry matter yields of Stylosanthes gracilis Swartz with two levels of lime [0 and 500 kg/ha] in the red loam soils of the Instructional farm, College of Agriculture. Vellayani has shown that growth attribuies like plant height, number of leaves, number of branches and leaf/stem ratio were not influenced by the application of graded doses of phosphorus except lime which increased the leaf number significantly. Phosphorus at the rate of 120 kg/ha recorded the maximum green matteryteld and dry matter production. Although lime level at 500 kg/ha failed to produce significant increase in green matter and dry matter yields, a positive trend was noticed by lime application.