Impact of soil composition on seedling growth of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59436/jsiane.v6i2.17.2583-2093Keywords:
Pongamia pinnata ; Potting media; Soil composition; Seedling growth; Biomass production; Nursery management; Seedling qualityAbstract
Soil composition is an important factor affecting germination, growth, biomass production, and nursery quality of planting material. The present study examines the impact of different qualities of soil on the performance of six-month-old seedlings of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre. Experimental treatments consisted of four different soils: sand, black soil, red soil, and Padua soil, which were combined in 15 different potting media compositions. The seedling performance was evaluated according to morphological traits and biomass indicators. There was considerable variability of seedling growth depending on the composition of potting media. The highest values of average shoot length (15.235 cm), root length (29.8 cm), total plant length (38.8), and total biomass (0.816 g) were reported in the Sand + Black soil treatment, whereas maximum values for root dry weight (0.516 g) and photosynthetic area (45.6 cm²) were obtained in the Red + Black soil treatment. Seedling growth was absent in the Red + Padua + Sand treatment. The results of the study show that the success of P. pinnata growth is determined by potting soil composition. The Sand + Black soil provided stable conditions for the optimal growth of seedlings and probably contributed to the improvement of aeration and nutrition of seedlings; thus, it is a good choice for raising healthy P. pinnata saplings in nursery conditions.
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