ROLE OF SOIL APPLICATION OF CHITOSAN POWDER ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF Basella alba (BARI PUISAK-l)

Abstract

Chitosan (CHT) induces plant growth but role of CHT powder in soil-plant system remains to be clarified. We examined role of soil application of CHT powder on growth and development of (BARI puisak-I). The experiment was conducted in the net house by using earthen pot containing 12 kg soil (red brown terrace soils. under the Tejgaon soil series. Modhupur Tract, Bangladesh) in each pot. Four treatments and live replications were used in the experiment with different doses of CHT powder i.e. T, = Control (0 g/pot). T2 = (100 g/pot), T, = (200 g/pot). and T4 = (400 g/pot). The CI-IT powder was applied in the pot soil as a basal dose before sowing the seeds. The vegetative growth and biomass production increased in a dose dependent manner due to the application of CHT powder. Fresh weight, oven dry weight. plant height significantly increased over the control plants. Maximum fresh weight (3662 g/plant) and oven dry weight (400.67 glplant) obtained in the treatment T4 but the maximum plant height (271.44 ern) was observed in the T3 treatment. Total nitrogen content in the post-harvest soils and in the plants increased in a dose dependent manner due to the treatments.The maximum nitrogen content in the plant was 0.513% and in the soil 0.203% in the treatment T4. The results indicate that CHT powder could be an alternative and very good source of organic nitrogen fertilizer. The organic carbon, organic matter content and soil pH of the post-harvest soil also increased in a dose dependent manner with the application of CHT powder. These results might be due to the alkalization effect of the CHT powder and might be a prominent source of organic carbon. Taken together, our results suggest that CHT powder may playa vital role in organic agriculture.