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RESPONSE OF OKRA (HIBISCUS ESCULENTUS L.) TO SOIL GIVEN ENCAPSULATED CALCIUM CARBIDE

SAIF UR REHMAN KASHIF^*, MUHAMMAD YASEEN^*,  MUHAMMAD ARSHAD^* AND MUHAMMAD AYUB^**

Abstract: Laboratory and field studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of encapsulated Calcium carbide (CaC₂) as nitrification inhibitor and plant hormone. It was studied how encapsulated Calcium carbide slows down the formation of NO₃^- from applied urea by monitoring the NO₃^- and NH₄⁺ contents of soil, six weeks after Calcium carbide application. Release of acetylene / ethylene was monitored from encapsulated CaC₂ after 1, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days under biotic (non-sterilization) and abiotic (complete sterilization) conditions. The effect of CaC₂ on growth and yield of okra (Hibiscus esculentus L.) was studied in field trial where Calcium carbide @ 0, 30 and 60 kg ha^-1 was placed 6 cm deep in soil between the plants 2 weeks after germination. Based upon the results obtained from the laboratory and field trials, it was concluded that Calcium carbide can effectively be used as a nitrification inhibitor (acetylene) as well as plant growth regulator (ethylene). Okra showed positive response to Calcium carbide application as increase in green pod yield up to 37 % was obtained after Calcium carbide application @ 60 kg ha^-1 of soil alongwith half of the recommended N fertilizer (60 kg N ha^-1) as compared to control while this increase was about 19 % compared to fertilizer alone.

^*Institute of Soil & Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

^**Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan