Response of Lime and Phosphorus Application on Groundnut Growth, Yield and Soil Enzyme Activities in Acidic Soil of North Eastern India

Abstract

ABSTRACT Soils in the north east Indian region are acidic in nature due to high rainfall and proper soil management is required where the common deficiencies like P, Ca and Mg have to be alleviated for a successful groundnut production. To test the effect of lime and phosphorus on groundnut yield and soil health, we conducted a field experiment during kharif season of 2014 and 2015 in ICAR RC NEH, Mizoram center farm (soil pH 5.1) using three levels of lime (0, 500 and 1000 kg CaCO3 ha‒ 1) and phosphorus (0, 25 and 50 kg ha‒ 1). Pooled data of lime and P application significantly improved the plant height and dry matter production per plant. Lime application improved number of pods by 14.8% and 26.1%, weight of pods by 19% and 30%, test weight by 5%, 8.7%, shelling percentage by 6.1%, 13% and pod yield by 26.5% and 63%. Lime application significantly raised the soil pH from 5.17 to 5.26 (L500) and 5.4 (L1000), subsequently increasing available nutrients like N, P and K whereas P @ 50 kg ha‒ 1 improved the available P status. Lime application negatively affect acid phosphatase activity while increasing the activity alkaline phosphatase, arylsulphatase, β‒glucosidase and dehydrogenase by 14.4% and 21%, 4% and 21%, 18.25% and 20.4% and 43.2% while P application decrease the acid phosphatase enzyme activity by 3 and 4.4%. Overall, multivariate PCA analysis suggests that liming has a significant role in improving soil health and groundnut productivity in acidic soil of Mizoram.