Effects of Eggshells as Organic Fertilizer on Growth of Brassica juncea (Mustard Green)

Eggshell can be very useful as an organic fertilizer in agricultural practices as the main substance found in eggshells are calcium carbonate as well as other micronutrients which might enhance plant growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different amounts of eggshells application toward Brassica juncea growth. There were 5 treatments with 3 replicates arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) where treatments are arranged as T1 (control) without eggshell, 1 g of eggshell (T2), 5 g of eggshell (T3), 10 g of eggshell (T4) and 15 g of eggshell (T5) application. Results showed significant differences in crop growth with 11-36% increase in height, 11-70% increase in number of leaves and 26-171% increase in leaves when compared with control, where the most pronounced growth was observed in T5 (15 g of eggshell application). Significant increase was also observed in clay loam soil pH from pH 5.5 to pH 7.52 (T5) and 12-75% increase calcium content in soil but no significant difference was found in plant nutrient contents among treatments. It can be concluded that the addition of eggshells may improve the growth of Brassica juncea as well as soil pH and available calcium content.