Response of mung bean cultivars to fly ash: growth and yield

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of fly ash on growth and yield of three locally grown cultivars of an important leguminous plant mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) on soil amended with different concentrations of fly ash. The values of pH, EC, WHC, soil cations, total heavy metals of the soil increased; however, values of BD, NH(4)(+)-N, NO(3)(-)-N, total N, organic carbon (OC), organic matter (OM), available P and cation exchange capacity (CEC) decreased with fly ash incorporation in the soil. Fly ash amendment led to improve the growth performance and various yield attributes. An increase in all the growth parameters was recorded in 10% fly ash amended (FAA) soil for cv M. Jyoti and M. Janpriya, while 5% FAA soil was most suitable for cv M. Jagriti. Yield (gm(-2)) also increased significantly by 40.6% and 33.9% for cv M. Jyoti and M. Janpriya, respectively, in 10% FAA soil and by 29.5% in cv M. Jagriti in 5% FAA soil. The experimental results depict that different cultivars of mung bean demonstrate a marked difference in response to various concentrations of fly ash under field conditions and this may indicate a genetic base for variability.