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PSM Biological Research
2017 │Volume 2│Issue 2│74-78
ISSN: 2517-9586 (Online)
www.psmpublishers.org
74
2017 © Pakistan Science Mission www.psm.org.pk
Research Article Open Access
Effect of Different Levels of Water Soluble NPK(20-20-20) Fertilizer on
the Growth and Yield of White Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)
Imran Arshad*
Star Services LLC, Al Muroor Road – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Received: 10.Nov.2016; Accepted: 14.Feb.2017; Published Online: 28.Apr.2017
*Corresponding author: Imran Arshad; Email: еngr_imran1985@yahoo.com
Abstract
Fertilizers application plays a pivotal role in the production of vegetables and fruits. Too low or high fertilizers levels can reduce the
growth and development process of plants which may affect the crop yield. To investigate the fact, a field experiment was carried
out to check the growth and yield of radish on a sandy soil, under desert climatic conditions by using drip irrigation system. The field
study was carried out on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) having nine different rates of water soluble NPK(20-20-20)
fertilizer, i.e. (T1 = control, T2 = 0.25, T3 = 0.50, T4 = 0.75, T5 = 1.00, T6 = 1.25, T7 = 1.50, T8 = 1.75, and T9 = 2.00) grams plant-1
fertigation-1 respectively. The results revealed that NPK(20-20-20) fertilizers with different rates brought a positive effect in radish
cultivation. Amongst all the treatments, T6 was observed to be more suitable and economical dose as it took the tallest radish plants
(38.83 cm), highest number of leaves (20.74), highest leaves weight (260.12 g), highest root length (32.62 cm), maximum root
diameter (11.06 cm), highest root weight (198.80 g), maximum total biomass (458.91 g) and maximum root yield (76.23 t/ha)
respectively. However, control plots showed inadequate results regarding all the parameters. The application of NPK(20-20-20) (T6 =
1.25 grams plant-1 fertigation-1) was found suitable for the best possible growth and yield of radish under desert conditions.
Application of fertilizers beyond this level seems to be an un-economical and wasteful practice.
Keywords: Radish, Fertigation, NPK Fertilizers, Drip Irrigation, Desert, Agriculture, UAE.
Cite this article: Arshad, I., 2017. Effect of Different Levels of Water Soluble NPK(20-20-20) Fertilizer on the Growth and Yield of
White Radish (Raphanus sativus L.). PSM Biol. Res., 2(2): 74-78.
INTRODUCTION
Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is an enormous vegetable
to add your salad for a bit of colour and spice. Radish
contains alkaline elements which help to digest food and
cures constipation, beneficial for stomach pain due to gas,
and to get rid of intestinal worms (El-Desuki et al., 2005).
Radishes are very much demanding throughout the year due
to their health benefits, therefore its proper cultivation is
essential in order to maintain the quality and fulfil the
demand respectively. Cultivation involves several activities
undertaken by farmers over a period of time. These activities
or tasks are referred to as agricultural practices (Arshad,
2015b). Cultivation of radish involves; preparation of soil,
sowing, adding manure and fertilizers, irrigation, protecting
from weeds, harvesting and storage etc. The preparation of
soil is the first step before growing radish. One of the most
important tasks in agriculture is to turn the soil and loosen it.
This allows the roots to penetrate deep into the soil. The
process of losing and turning the soil is called tilling or
ploughing (Arshad, 2015c).
Sowing is the most important part of radish production.
Before sowing good quality seeds with high germination
percentage should to be selected (Kashem, et al., 2009). An
appropriate distance between the seeds is important to avoid
overcrowding of plants. This allows plants to get sufficient
sunlight, nutrients and water from the soil. Addition of on time
application of fertilizers to the soil is very much essential for
the growth of plants (Arshad, 2015a). Too less or excessive
dosage of fertilizers may negatively affect the quality
parameters of radish. Generally, farmer’s community uses
inorganic fertilizers to gain more radish yield. Nitrogen
improves the absorption & respiration process in plant and
activates vegetation (Usman et al., 2000). Radish plants with
more leaves can give more root yield as compared to the
plants having less leaves. Nitrogen is the main component of
protein & chlorophyll. Deficiency of nitrogen turns the leaves
yellowish, and results in low crop production. For the case of
Radish production the phosphorus and potassium is required
during the sowing time for sprouting of seeds, early
maturation, transportation of photosynthesis products, and to
increase the root size and diameter respectively (Djurovka et
al., 1997).
I. Arshad PSM Biological Research 2017; 2(2): 74-78
75
Water is important for the proper growth and
development of root and leaves. Water is essential because
germination of seeds doesn’t take place under dry conditions
(Jawad et al., 2015). Nutrients dissolved in water get
transported to each part of the plant. To maintain the
moisture of the soil for healthy growth of radish, field have to
be irrigated regularly as less water under hot climate makes
the radish tough and bitter in taste. The frequency of
irrigation varies from soil to soil, and season to season. In
desert agriculture where water availability is poor, farmers
are using drip irrigation system to irrigate their crops (Arshad
et al., 2014b). In this system, the water falls drop by drop just
at the position of the roots. In field many other undesirable
plants may grow naturally along with the radish. Tilling before
sowing of the radish helps in uprooting and killing of weeds
(Pandey, et al., 1996). The picking of a radish after it is
mature is called harvesting. In harvesting, radish is pulled out
from the soil surface which usually takes 30-40 days
depending upon the variety (Balouch et al., 2014). The
present research work was conducted to evaluate the effect
of different levels of NPK (20-20-20) fertilizer on the growth and
production parameters of radish.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Location
The research work was carried out at a private
farmhouse, in Liwa, Western Region of Abu Dhabi, UAE, in
January 2016. The soil of the farmhouse was sandy in
nature, with hydraulic conductivity (1.051 x 10-4 m/sec), bulk
density (1.4 g/cm3), and porosity (0.43) respectively. In order
to increase the moisture holding capacity within the soil
poultry manure was mixed with sand and irrigation was done
through drip irrigation system respectively.
Field Experiment
The present research was carried out on a randomized
complete block design (RCBD) having nine different rates of
water soluble NPK(20-20-20) fertilizer, i.e. (T1 = control, T2 =
0.25, T3 = 0.50, T4 = 0.75, T5 = 1.00, T6 = 1.25, T7 = 1.50, T8
= 1.75, and T9 = 2.00) grams plant-1 fertigation-1 respectively.
Initially the seed bed was prepared by using traditional hoes
and drip irrigation lines were installed for the irrigation
purpose accordingly (Arshad et al., 2014a). Small holes were
dig adjacent to the emitters and 10 gram poultry mixture with
sand along with equal amount NPK(12-12-17) was mixed and
filled in to the holes and pre-irrigated accordingly. The plant
to plant distance was kept 6cm and distance among lateral
was kept 30cm respectively (Balouch et al., 2014). Radish
variety (Mino Early White) was used in this research and
which was sown at rate of 3 kg per acre in January 05, 2016.
The NPK(20-20-20) fertilizer was applied to all the subplots
throughout the research period on every alternate day and to
maintain the moisture within the soil, water applied to the soil
twice a day i.e. during morning and evening hours (Pamwar
et al., 2000). Furthermore, to maintain the root quality and
early ripening calcium and manganese fertilizers are also
applied in equal amount to all sub-plots on weekly basis. The
first harvesting was done after 37 days from sowing date.
Irrigation prior to picking was done to reducing root damage
(Arshad et al., 2015). In order to identify the best treatment
ten plants from each of the treatments were tagged and data
were recorded after harvesting. The agronomic parameters
for the growth and yield characters studied were plant height
(cm), number of leaves per plant, weight of leaves per plant,
root length (cm), root diameter (cm), root weight plant 1 (g),
total biomass (g), and root yield (tons / ha). Finally all the
data analysis and statistical analysis were done through
ANOVA procedure accordingly.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A study was initiated to check the effects of different
rates of water soluble NPK(20-20-20) fertilizer on the growth and
yield of radish under sandy soil and desert climatic
conditions. The subject study revealed that radish plant
height, number of leaves, weight of leaves, root length, root
diameter, root weight, total biomass, and root yield differed
very significantly (P<0.05) between applications of different
rates of water soluble NPK(20-20-20) fertilizer as mentioned in
Table 1. The critical gathered observations and data for the
above discussed parameters during the present study are
appended below:
Plant Height
Statistically remarkable results were observed for plant
height for all treatments as shown in Table 1. The maximum
plant height (38.83 cm) was recorded for the treatment T6
followed by T5 (37.19 cm) respectively. While the minimum
plant height (26.91 cm) was recorded for the treatment T1 i.e.
in control plot respectively. As plant height is an initial sign of
vegetative growth therefore, on time and required application
of NPK(20-20-20) fertilizer increases the soil fertility which results
in healthy crop. Due to proper application of fertigation during
root developing period the plants attain maximum height.
While, minimum plant height was observed due to the
unavailability of required amount of NPK(20-20-20) fertilizer,
required by the plants during growth and development
stages. These results are in agreement with (Jawad et al.,
2015; Arshad et al., 2014c), who concluded that by
increasing the rates of NPK fertilizer, the height of plant can
also be increased for radish and capsicum green bell.
Number of Leaves
Statistically significant results were observed for number
of leaves per plant for all treatments (Table 01). The
maximum number of leaves per plant was observed for the
treatment T6 (20.74) followed by T5 (20.13) and T7 (19.93)
respectively. Once again the minimum number of leaves was
observed for the treatment T1 (control) with (14.49) leaves
per plant. The radish is a quick growing vegetable and
requires appropriate amount of NPK fertilizers for its growth
I. Arshad PSM Biological Research 2017; 2(2): 74-78
76
especially when grown under desert condition where
essential nutrients within the soil are very low for its growth
and development. The plants attain maximum number of
leaves may be due to the appropriate application of
adequate amount of NPK(20-20-20) fertilizer, which produce
healthy leaves for plant and results in enhancing the
vegetative growth of plant respectively. While minimum
numbers of leaves were observed in plants due to
unavailability of essential nutrients, for the production of
healthy leaves. The results were supported by the findings of
(Jilani et al., 2010; Arshad et al., 2016), who concluded that
number of leaves per plant can be increased with the
application of appropriate amount of fertilizers needed by
plants during its growth and development period.
Leaves weight
The maximum leaves weight per plant (260.12 gm) was
observed for T6, followed by T5 (258.70 gm) and T7
(256.11gm) whereas, minimum leaves weight per plant
(143.68 gm) was observed in case of T1, while, remaining
treatments showed intermediate leaves weight (Table 1).
The presence of sufficient amount of NPK(20-20-20) fertilizer,
enhanced the soil fertility level and improves the plant
growth, due to which the plants ultimately produce healthy
leaves which increased the weight of the leaves per plant.
The results are in agreement with the findings of (Parvez et
al., 2003) who concluded that leaves weights increased by
increasing the rates of NPK fertilizers in radish respectively.
Root Length
During the research study it had been observed that
different rates of water soluble NPK(20-20-20) fertilizers,
significantly affected the root length of radish. The maximum
root length (32.62 cm) was obtained by treatment T6, while
the minimum root length (20.26 cm) was observed in T1 i.e.
control plots. The increase in root length is mainly depends
on the environmental and agronomic factors, therefore the
plants having more number of leaves have generally more
root length. Likewise soil condition and texture also plays a
critical role in enhancing the root length. Similar results were
observed by (Bilekudari, et al., 2005; Arshad et al., 2015)
who reported that root length of radish and carrot was found
more in those plants which produced more number of
leaves.
Root Diameter
Statistically significant results were observed for root
diameter with maximum (11.06 cm) and minimum (8.30 cm)
for treatment T6 and in control (no fertilizer) respectively.
These results showed that the root growth was increased
with the increase in fertilizer dosage during growth period of
the plant. However, over fertigation i.e. excessive fertilizers
application starts decreasing the root length which is
ultimately a non-economical and wasteful practice. These
results are in agreement with (Arshad et al., 2015; Asghar et
al., 2006) for carrot and radish, who observed that the root
diameter increased with the increased in NPK fertilizers,
however, it starts decreasing when the fertilizers treatment
applied beyond its desired level.
Table 1. Effect of Different Rates of Water Soluble NPK(20-20-20) Fertilizer on Different Statistical Agronomic
Parameters of Radish
Treatments
Plant
Height
No. of
Leaves
per Plant
Leaves
Weight
per Plant
Root
Length
per Plant
Root
Diameter per
Plant
Root
Weight
per Plant
Total
Biomass
per Plant
Root
Yield
(cm)
(g)
(cm)
(cm)
(g)
(g)
t / ha
T1 (Control)
26.91c
14.49c
143.68e
20.26e
8.30c
117.12f
260.79f
37.88c
T2
31.66bc
17.05bc
169.03de
23.84d
9.77b
137.78e
306.82e
44.57b
T3
34.04b
18.33b
181.76d
25.63c
10.50a
148.16d
329.91de
47.92ab
T4
36.54a
19.07a
208.43bc
27.00c
10.59a
166.02bc
374.44cd
56.81a
T5
37.19a
20.13a
258.70a
27.48b
10.85a
175.30b
434.00b
67.20a
T6
38.83a
20.74a
260.12a
32.62a
11.06a
198.80a
458.91a
76.23a
T7
36.91a
19.93a
256.11a
27.20b
10.74a
173.54b
429.66bc
66.53a
T8
36.08a
18.72ab
240.59b
25.56cd
10.09a
163.03c
403.62c
62.50a
T9
34.32ab
18.69a
204.26c
26.46bc
10.38a
162.70c
366.95d
55.67a
LSD (P<0.05)
3.86
2.03
7.87
2.91
1.14
6.52
6.88
23.50
* Means followed by different letter shows significant result at 5% level of significance.
I. Arshad PSM Biological Research 2017; 2(2): 74-78
77
Root Weight
During the research study it had been observed that
different rates of water soluble NPK(20-20-20) fertilizers,
significantly affected the root weight of radish. The maximum
root weight per plant (198.80 g) was achieved in treatment
T6 which was statistically similar with treatment T5 and T7
respectively. The minimum root weight per plant (117.12 g)
was recorded in treatment T1 (control). The high root weight
per plant in radish may be due to on time, balanced fertilizers
application along with proper plant spacing which produced
healthy leaves and help plants to increase its roots size.
Similar results were obtained by (Balouch et al., 2014) who
reported that root weight of radish increased remarkably with
the increase in NPK fertilizers rates upto 150-75-100 kg / ha.
Total Biomass
Statistically considerable results were observed for total
biomass per plant which is the sum of weight of root and
leaves of radish respectively. Once again the maximum
(458.91 g) and minimum (260.79 g) biomass was recorded
in treatment T6 and T1 (control plot) respectively. The total
biomass of a plant is a factor that is directly influenced by
number of leaves, leaves length, weight of leaves, root
length, root diameter and root weight per plant respectively.
The plants having more number of leaves and root weight
will produce more biomass accordingly. The present results
supported by the findings of (Akoumianakis et al., 2011),
who reported that in sandy soil, balanced level of fertilizers
can improves the soil structure and allows the plant to grow
more leaves with good root size to produce higher biomass
per plant.
Root Yield
The observed data showed that root yield was
significantly affected by different rates of water soluble
NPK(20-20-20) fertilizers for radish. The maximum (76.23 tons /
ha) root yield was achieved for treatment T1 followed by the
treatment T5 and T7 respectively. Once again the minimum
yield (37.88 tons / ha) was observed in treatment T1
respectively. The root yield found high may be due balanced
fertilizers level within the soil due to which soil fertility
increased and supports the growth and root development of
plants. Addition of sufficient amount of water soluble NPK(20-
20-20) fertilizers improves the quantitative parameters of radish
i.e. leaf and root weight which ultimately increased the yield.
Similar results were obtained by (Arshad et al., 2015;
Wachstum et al., 2002), who reported that balanced level of
fertilizers can gave maximum carrot and radish root yield per
hectare.
CONCLUSION
From the results obtained it could be concluded that the
water soluble NPK(20-20-20) fertilizers with different rates
brought a positive effect in radish cultivation under sandy soil
conditions. Amongst all the treatments, T6 was observed to
be more suitable and economical dose as it took the tallest
radish plants (38.83 cm), highest number of leaves (20.74),
highest leaves weight (260.12 g), highest root length (32.62
cm), maximum root diameter (11.06 cm), highest root weight
(198.80 g), maximum total biomass (458.91 g) and
maximum root yield (76.23 t/ha) respectively. However,
control plots showed inadequate results regarding all the
parameters. Too low or high fertilizers levels may reduce the
yield and yield parameters of radish. The application of
NPK(20-20-20) (T6 = 1.25 grams plant-1 fertigation-1) were
suitable for best possible growth and yield of radish under
desert conditions. Application of fertilizers beyond this level
seems to be an un-economical and wasteful practice. As an
area under study was sandy; therefore these suggestions
are applicable for only sandy soils while the results may vary
for other types of soil.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are thankful to anonymous reviewers for their value
able suggestions to execute the experiment.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they don’t have any conflicts of
interest and are also not interested in competing with
anyone.
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