Effect of different growing media and biofertilizers on seed germination and seedling growth of Aonla (Phyllanthus emblica L.) in Bemetara district of Chhattisgarh

Abstract

A nursery experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Research Farm, College of Horticulture and Research Station, Saja, Bemetara (C.G.) during 2024–25. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Ten treatments involving different growing media and biofertilizer combinations were evaluated: T₀: Potting Mixture (Soil:Fym:Sand) (2:1:1), T₁: PM + Cocopeat (2cm), T₂: PM + PSB (20 gm/ Polybag), T₃: PM + Azotobactor (20 gm/ Polybag), T₄: PM + Pseudomonos (20 gm/ Polybag), T₅: PM + Azotobactor (40 gm/ Polybag), T₆: PM + Pseudomonos (40 gm/ Polybag), T₇: PM + Cocopeat + Pseudomonos (20 gram/ polybag), T₈: PM + Cocopeat + Azotobactor and T₉: PM + Cocopeat + PSB. Observations were recorded on seed germination parameters, including seed viability (%), days to initiation of germination and days to 50% germination, as well as seedling growth parameters, such as seedling height (cm), root length (cm), shoot length (cm), number of leaves per seedling and girth of seedlings (mm). All data were subjected to statistical analysis to determine treatment effects. The study revealed that seed viability and seedling growth of Aonla were significantly influenced by different growing media and biofertilizer treatments. The highest performance was consistently recorded under T₉ – PM + Cocopeat + PSB, with values of seed viability 96.21%, 7.52 days for germination initiation, 9.25 days for 50% germination, seedling height 13.32, 36.76 & 59.94 cm, root length 6.66, 15.98 and 26.03 cm, shoot length 7.33, 22.86 and 37.30 cm, number of leaves 8.13, 25.37 & 41.41 and girth 1.91, 3.21 & 4.87 mm at 30, 60 and 90 DAS, respectively. Treatments T₈ – PM + Cocopeat + Azotobacter and T₇ – PM + Cocopeat + Pseudomonas (20 g/polybag) were statistically comparable to T₉. The lowest germination and seedling growth were observed in the control T₀ - Potting Mixture (Soil: Fym: Sand) (2:1:1), with values of seed viability 89.37%, 12.31 days for germination initiation, 15.14 days for 50% germination, seedling height 8.14, 22.47 & 36.63 cm, root length 4.07, 9.76 & 15.91 cm, shoot length 4.48, 13.98 & 22.80 cm, number of leaves 4.97, 15.51 & 25.30 and girth 1.17, 1.96 & 2.98 mm at 30, 60 and 90 DAS, respectively.