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Abstract
A pot experiment was conducted at the open net house of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Bangladesh
Agricultural University, Mymensingh, during the period from March to June 2007 using soil collected from the
surrounding areas of Gazni sal forest of Jhenaigati upazilla under Sherpur district to study the effect of different forest
tree leaf litters on growth, yield, nutrient contents of red amaranth cv. Altapety. Plant height, number of leaves plant-1,
dry weight plant-1 and moisture content (%) were significantly influenced by the addition of different forest tree leaf
litters and highest values were obtained from the chemical fertilizer treatment which was identical with teak leaf litter
in most of the parameters. The lowest values of most of the parameters were obtained from control treatment.
Nutrient contents of red amaranth were significantly influenced by the addition of different leaf litters except Mg. The
highest and lowest values of most of the nutrient contents and their uptake were recorded from chemical fertilizer and
control treatment, respectively. It was also observed that addition of different leaf litters substantially decreased soil
acidity and significantly increased the organic matter, total N, available P, exchangeable K, available Ca, Mg contents
in the post harvest soil. The performance of these leaf litters with respect to growth, yield, nutrient contents and their
uptake by red amaranth and the soil fertility was in the order teak >eucalyptus>acacia>sal. Overall results suggested
that leaf litters can be used as an alternative of chemical fertilizer in the surrounding areas of Gazni sal forest for
profitable production of leafy vegetables like red amaranth.