Abstract

An experiment was conducted to find out the effect of different soil pH along with nursery mixture on germination, seeding vigour and chemical attributes of Acacia nilotica at Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Kumulur, Tiruchirappalli during February 1999. The seeds were sown in soil with different pH (8.1, 9.0, 10.2 and 10.5) and the differential pH soil mixed with sand + farm yard manure (2:1:1 ratio) compared with control (red earth + sand+farm yard manure 2:1:1 ratio). The result revealed that Acacia nilotica has a wider range of adaptability in relation to pH. The species is able to tolerate extreme soil pH of 10.5, when the soil is mixed with sand and farm yard manure at 2:1:1 ratio, in terms of germination, seedling growth and chemical attributes of the seedlings.

Keywords: Acacia nilotica, Soil reaction, Germination, Seedling vigour