A Biochemical Study on the Growth Traits of Vigna radiata (Green Gram) Influenced by Gunapaselam (Fermented Fish Waste) - An Approach to Marine Waste Management

Effective methods are necessary to utilize the discarded waste from the fishery industry. The sustainable agriculture emphasizes the importance of recycling organic wastes to minimize the damages caused by mineral fertilizers and the sky-rocketing price of chemical fertilizers. A study was conducted to assess the fertilizing potential of fermented fish waste - Gunapaselam (GP) on the growth traits of mung bean (Vigna radiata). The study groups include Group I (water treatment/without fertilizer), Group II (chemical fertilizer – NPKS (1:2:1:0.8)) and Group III (GP - 1:100 fold diluted). The performance of the crop was adjudged in terms of growth traits like germination percentage, trifoliate emergence rate, leaf area, number of branches and leaves, number of lateral roots, flowering time and developmental stages of nodules. Except for germination percentage, all the growth traits were significantly improved by GP treatment. GP improved the growth of green gram probably by providing the essential nutrients and enhancing their availability and effective absorption than the chemical fertilizers. The study also revealed that GP influences the beneficial soil microbes and makes the rhizosphere suitable to facilitate nodule formation. It can be concluded from the findings that GP has a pronounced effect on growth traits of Vigna radiata and it can replace chemical fertilizers in the future.