Morphology and yield of soybean grown on allophanic soil as influenced by synthetic zeolite application

Our objective was to assess the effect of synthetic zeolite application on morphology,yield and yield components of soybean grown on allophanic soils. a greenhouse experiment was carried out using three zeolite levels and three soils (two allophonic and one paddy) with two soybean cultivars. one determinate (enrei,[mg] 1v) and indeterminate cultivar (harosoy [mg] 11) were grown in pots on april 20 th and harvested on 15 th september at the faculty of agriculture,ehime university,matsuyama,japan during 2007. zeolite levels of 0,20 and 40 (g) were used to determine the growth behavior of soybean cultivars. different morphological parameters including grain yield were significantly affected by various zeolite levels and soil type. maximum leaf area and plant height were obtained from 40 (g) zeolite applications with knp and kyp allophanic soils. harosoy grew taller than enrei. yield and yield contributing attributes were affected significantly by zeolite levels and soil type. both cultivars gave highest grain yield at 20 (g) zeolite applications and thereafter,the grain yield declined. application of 20 (g) zeolite applications favored most of the yield contributing characters that contributed maximum grain yield at this level of zeolite application. the allophanic soils gave similar trend of increase in both morphological and yield components parameters of soybean cultivars. a decrease in morphological and yield components were observed,when soybean were grown on a paddy soil with zero(g) zeolite application. enrei cultivar out yielded harosoy at all levels of zeolite application and soil type.