Exogenously applied nitrogenous fertilizers and effective microorganisms improve plant growth of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) and soil fertility

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Table 3 Effect of nitrogenous fertilizers and effective microorganism on plant height, number of branches and leaf area of Stevia rebaudiana during two growing seasons

Growing season	Treatments	Plant height (cm)			No of branches			Leaf area (cm² plant⁻¹)
Growing season	Treatments	EM (−)	EM (+)	Mean (NFs)	EM (−)	EM (+)	Mean (NFs)	EM (−)	EM (+)	Mean (NFs)
2018	Control	29.72e	33.16d	31.44c	23.42d	24.16d	23.79c	498.5d	720.82c	609.66c
	Ch-N	46.50c	53.00b	49.75b	33.83c	35.83c	34.83b	1195.30b	1224.84ab	1210.07b
	Org-N	53.66b	59.50a	56.58a	40.33b	43.33a	41.83a	1276.53ab	1335.26a	1305.9a
	Mean (EM)	43.29b	48.55a		32.53b	34.44a		990.11b	1093.64a
LSD interaction (p ≤ 0.05)		2.47			2.89			126.42
2019	Control	30.36d	31.33d	30.84c	25.43f	29.16e	27.3c	804.5c	900.4c	851.95c
	Ch-N	49.66c	58.83b	54.25b	44.16d	47.83c	46b	1571.68b	1601.22ab	1586.45b
	Org-N	61.33b	64.5a	62.91a	60.33b	64.33a	62.33a	1657.91ab	1696.54a	1677.23a
	Mean (EM)	47.12b	51.55a		43.31b	47.11a		1344.36a	1399.39a
LSD interaction (p ≤ 0.05)		2.62			1.814			124.79

The values shown in table are means of two cuttings having four replicates. EM Effective microorganisms (biofertilizer), Ch-N Chemical-N form, Org-N Organic-N form, Means followed by the same letters are non-significantly different (p ≤ 0.05)