ISSN: 2375-4397
Beckley Ikhajiagbe*, Matthew Chidozie Ogwu, Precious Okeoghene Ekhator, Ivhuobe Izuapa Omoayena
The growth, development and yield of important crop plants like soybean (Glycine max) are constantly under threat by continuous inputs of cadmium in the biosphere as a result of various industrial activities. This study investigated the level to which, addition of nitrogen fertilization can enhance plant survival, growth and yield development in a cadmium-polluted. Three accessions of Glycine max (TGm-1, TGm-2 and TGm-3) were sown in a 12 mg/kg-cadmium polluted, which was thereafter amended with Urea (FU), Ammonia (FA), and Ammonium Nitrate (FN) singly and in combinations of equal proportions. A non-fertilized cadmium-pollutedpolluted soil and a general control constituted the negative and positive controls. Results showed that although N application did not enhance yield dispositions of soybean in cadmium-polluted-polluted soil, significant impact on vegetative development was noteworthy. Compared to yield of control plants, cadmium pollution imposed a 26.1% reduction in per plant yield in TGm-1, compared 1.71 % in TGm-3. Generally, addition of nitrogenous fertilizer further suppressed crop yield by as much as 80% in plants sown in cadmium-polluted soil. However, application of ammonia fertilizer to TGm-2 improved its yield performances in the cadmium-polluted soil. Research funding was a huge limitation to this research.