Study on synergistic effect of Zeolite and supplementary fertilizer in soil on flowering of Solanum melongena L. (Solanaceae) and growth of Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle (Rutaceae)

Abstract

Zeolite is a natural super porous mineral and is a part of a group of hydrated alumino silicates. It has been claimed that addition of zeolite to soil during cultivation can enable better plant growth, improve the efficiency of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, improve water infiltration and retention, improve crop yield, retain nutrients for long-term use by plants, improve soil quality, reduce loss of nutrients from soil, and can help in the absorption of toxic metals from soil and so make them less available for uptake and accumulation in crops. Bangladesh is an agriculture-based country, which in recent years is becoming more and more dependent on high-cost chemical fertilizers and ground water for cultivation of crops. The resultant effect has been high crop prices, which are becoming less and less affordable to the mass people. As such, application of zeolite to soil during the cultivation period has the possibility of using less chemical fertilizers and less irrigation. The objective of this study was to determine the synergistic effect of zeolite application in combination with other fertilizer (calcium and magnesium rich) under controlled conditions on the flowering of Solanum melongena L. (Solanaceae), known in English as eggplant and locally as baegun, which is a popular and widely consumed vegetable item in the country and as well examine the potentiality of the fertilizer alone on growth of S. melongena and Citrus aurantiifolia (English: key lime). Accordingly, seedlings were planted in earthen pots containing soil mixed with cow dung and varying doses of zeolite, and the fertilizer was applied after a certain period of 74 th day following plantation and the flowering recorded from day of fertilization (as zero day) till the 24 th day. It was observed that all groups showed improved flowering after fertilization while moderate zeolite concentrations resulted in significant effect on flower induction of plants compared to non-zeolite. At the same time, fertilizer when separately studied on its ability to increase plant height and average leaf area in S. melongena till 90 th day of transplantation demonstrated better lateral branching till 60 th day. Moreover, in case of key lime, this fertilizer increased plant height till 40 th day and lateral branching from 50 th to 90 th day. The results suggest that zeolite, if applied to soil, at least for cultivation of eggplants may have dual beneficial effects, the first in terms of increased flowering, and the second, possibly to serve to hold fertilizer from leaching which may benefit farmers to save fertilizer cost; the calcium and magnesium rich fertilizer can improve growth of both S. melongena and C. aurantiifolia.

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