Abstract

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of potassium humate on seed germination and seedling growth (root length and shoot length) of Glycine max (L.) Merrill (Soybean) and Phaseolus mungo L. (Black gram). The seeds of Glycine max and Phaseolus mungo were treated with potassium humate at ten different concentrations (from 0.1 to 1.0%) and water as control. The seeds were then sown on moist blotter papers to record percent seed germination, root length and shoot length of Glycine max and Phaseolus mungo. The effect of potassium humate (1.0%) on chlorophyll content of Glycine max (L.) Merrill and Phaseolus mungo L. was visualized using systronic spectrophotometer (Type 106) method. At the end of tenth day, potassium humate treated seeds showed positive correlation between concentration of potassium humate and percent seed germination with root length and shoot length of Glycine max and Phaseolus mungo against water (control).The experiment revealed that, Potassium humate treated plants showed higher chlorophyll a and -b contents than control.

Keywords: Humic acid, Potassium humate, Percent seed germination, Seedling growth and Chlorophyll content