EFFECTS OF UREA AND COW DUNG ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF GREEN AMARANTH

Abstract

The effect of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer applied as urea in combination with cow dung (CD) on the growth and yield of green amaranth cv. BAR!Data-I was investigated at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Farm during the period from April to May, 2014. The experiment was consisted of four levels of nitrogen (N0= 0, N1 = 75. N 2 = 100 and N3= 125 kg N hi1 ) and four levels of cow dung (C0 0. C1 = 2.5, C2" 5 and Cc 7.5 t CD ha5. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. A statistically significant variation was recorded in respect of all characteristics of green amaranth. The results showed that nitrogen, cow dung and their interaction significantly influenced most of the growth and yield contributing characteristics such as plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, leaf greenness, fresh and dry weight of leaf, stem and root along with the individual yield of leaf and stem or summation of them as green yield. All parameters studied in this experiment were increased with the increasing nitrogen levels i.e.125 kg N hi', gave the highest which showed statistically similar with 100 kg N ha1 in case of final plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter and stem-leaf ratio. The growth and yield contributing parameters were increased with the increasing cow dung levels up to 5 t ha* The highest green yield (69.74 t hi1 ) were obtained from the interaction of N3C1 (125 kg N ha1 and 2.5 t CD hi') treatment which is statistically similar with N 2C2 (100 kg N ha1 and 5 t CD ha) in respect of highest plant height, maximum number of leaves plant1 and widest stem diameter. The N0C0 showed the lowest values in case of all parameters. Therefore 100 kg N hi' were compatible to 5 t CD for better as well as eco-friendly production of green amaranth.