Effect of land configurations and phosphorus on root-shoot growth, yield attributes, harvest index and net B:C of soybean in Kandahar Afghanistan

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at ANASTU (Afghanistan National Agriculture Science & Technology University), Kandahar during 2020. The field experiment consisting of four main-plots, flat beds (FB), narrow beds with irrigation in all furrows (NBIF), narrow beds with irrigation in alternate furrows (NBIAF) and broad beds (BB), four sub-plots including 0 (control), 30, 60 and 90 kg P₂ O₅ ha^-1 was laid-out in a splitplot design, replicated thrice. The results revealed that maximum plant height was observed with broad bed method of planting at all growth stages, but at harvest when it was at par with NBIAF. Broad bed recorded 30, 30, 26%, and 24, 8, 35% increment in dry root weight over FB and NBIAF. The maximum number of grains pod-1 was observed for plants in BB plot, which, was 5.4% higher than FB and 3.3% higher than NBIAF. The highest 1000- grain weight was also found with BB. Biological yield from BB plots was 13 and 2.8% higher over FB and NBIAF, respectively. Harvest index was significantly higher in BB and NBIF compared to FB and NBIAF. With respect to phosphorous management, significantly higher plant height, dry root weight, yield attributes, biological yield and harvest index were obtained when crop was applied with 90 kg P₂ O₅ ha^-1. However, the highest net B: C (1.39) was observed in 60 kg P₂ O₅ ha^-1 fertilized crop. Overall, the interaction effect revealed that BB × 60 kg P₂ O₅ ha^-1 was the best combination for achieving higher growth and productivity of soybean crop.