Influence of Phosphorus Sources on Soybean Growth and Nodulation in Typic Plinthustalfs of Southern Guinea Savanna, Nigeria

Abstract

Phosphorus is one of the most limiting plant nutrient in tropical soils. A pot trial was conducted using soils from three locations (Maikunkele, Maitunbi and Gidan Kwanu) of Bosso local government area in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. The trial was set up in the screen house of the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Soil Science and Land Management, Federal University of Technology, Minna, in the Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria. The treatments include three phosphorus sources; inorganic phosphorus as single superphosphate (SSP), organic phosphorus as bone meal (BM) and bio–phosphorus as “Glomus intaradices” (Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi) and a control, laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), replicated three times. The observed parameters includes plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, number of nodule, nodule and root dry weights. Analysis of variance was done using Genstat statistical package. Significant means were further separated using Least Significant Difference (LSD) at P < 0.05, soybean (TGX 1988-5F) was the test crop. The results shows that soybean responded to the treatments positively. The observed parameters (plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, number of nodule, nodule and root dry weights) were all enhanced as a result of the various sources of phosphorus applied as compared to the control. The application of inorganic–P(SSP), organic-Pand bio–P(AMF) were significant at the three locations for leaf area, shoot weight (except at Gidan Kwanu where only the inorganic-P(SSP) was significant for shoot weight). The nodule number was also significant at Maikunkele and Maitunbi with the use of inorganic-P (SSP) and bio-P (AMF), while the nodule and root dry weight recorded substantial increase in weight to the application of the P-sources as compared to the control. Hence, the application of the various sources of phosphorus is worthwhile for soybean growth and grain yield improvement on Typic Plinthustalfs soil in the study area.