Response of nectarines to organic fertilization under the rain-fed ecosystem of Northwest Himalayas

The comparative efficacy of organic sources on cropping behavior, nutrient dynamics, physico-chemical and biological properties of soil and fruit quality under rain-fed agroecosystem on “Silver King” nectarines was investigated. Bio-organic nutrients, namely vermi-compost (VC), biofertilizer (BF), farmyard manure (FYM), compost (comp), vermiwash (VW) and cow urine (CU) were evaluated in 11 different treatment combinations. The treatment application of VC at 25 kg tree^?1, BF at 40 g tree^?1, FYM at 30 kg tree^?1, comp at 15 kg tree^?1, VW_1:10 and CU_1:10 significantly improved plant growth and fruit quality characteristics of nectarine trees. This superior combination also enhanced physico-chemical and biological properties of the rhizosphere soil when compared to control as conventional chemical fertilizer application nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertilizers. Different treatments of bio-organic sources changed pH of the soil to neutral. Available macronutrient contents of soil (viz. N, P, and K) increased by 57.8%, 27.7%, and 16.4%, respectively. Microbial biomass of soil fungi, total bacteria, actinobacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improved 66.0%, 73.8%, 133.3% and 350.0%, respectively, over control. Considerably, a higher amount of leaf macronutrients, N (3.53%), P (0.23%), and K (3.2%), was also recorded over control.     

Assessment of the limiting nutrients for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth using Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS)

ABSTRACT

The Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) was used as a tool to assess the limiting nutrients for wheat growth. To this effect, two separate greenhouse experiments were conducted to assess the limiting nutrients for wheat growth using soil samples collected from Wolmera district, Ethiopia. The experiments consisted of eight fertilizer treatments, optimum (Opt.), optimum-N (Opt-N), optimum-P (Opt-P), optimum-K (Opt-K), optimum-S (Opt-S), optimum-B (Opt-B), optimum-Zn (Opt-Zn) and control on Nitisols and six fertilizer treatments (Opt, Opt-N, Opt-P, Opt-S, Opt-B, and control) on Vertisols. In Nitisols, dry shoot weight yields were reduced by 93%, 70%, and 50% in the control, Opt-N, and Opt-P treatments, respectively. Whereas the corresponding reductions were 85%, 78%, and 42%, respectively, in Vertisols as compared to the optimum treatment. DRIS results indicated that N is the most limiting nutrient, followed by S, B, and P, while Zn was the least limiting nutrient for wheat production in the two study soils.     

Mineralization of Nitrogen from Biofuel By-products and Animal Manures Amended to a Sandy Soil

Transformations of nitrogen (N) from poultry litter (PL), dairy manure compost (DMC), anaerobically digested fiber (ADF), Perfect Blend 7–2–2 (PB), a compost/litter mixture (C/L), dried distillers grains from ethanol production (DG), and mustard meal from biodiesel production (MM) applied to a Quincy fine sand were investigated in an incubation experiment over 210 days. The cumulative release totals of available N after 210 days were 61, 61, 56, 44, 29, 2, and –2% for the total N in MM, PB, DG, PL, C/L, DMC, and ADF, respectively. With application of MM and DG, ammonium (NH₄-N) accumulated initially in the soil with very little nitrification, possibly because of inhibition of nitrification related to chemical compounds in the amendments. Mineralization of organic N to NH₄-N and nitrate (NO₃-N) was relatively slow from MM- and DG-amended soils, indicating the potential for using biofuel by-products as slow-release N sources for plants.     

沼液堆肥化与牛粪堆肥化的发酵特性及腐熟进程

为评价沼液作为堆肥含氮添加剂的应用效果,开发沼液的处理应用技术,以牛粪树叶堆肥为对照,将沼液和树叶混合堆制发酵,探讨其发酵特性与腐熟进程。研究结果表明,环境温度一直在10℃以下,沼液堆肥化和牛粪堆肥化均能经历35d以上的堆温超过50℃的高温发酵;而沼液堆肥化超过50℃的高温期持续时间比牛粪堆肥化少8d;经60d的发酵沼液堆肥化的半纤维素含量从发酵初期的12.14%下降到6.53%,纤维素含量由20.5%下降到9.8%;而牛粪堆肥化的半纤维素含量从12.8%下降到9.56%,纤维素含量由21.5%下降到15.9%。可见沼液堆肥化的分解更彻底。从C/N、温度、可溶性糖含量、含水量、种子发芽指数综合评价两种堆肥的腐熟度,沼液堆肥化进入腐熟状态约经30d,而牛粪堆肥化进入腐熟约需45d。     

Soil organic phosphorus fractions in response to long-term fertilization with composted manures under rice–wheat cropping system

Present investigation evaluates the effect of organic fertilization (OF), integrated nutrient management (INM) practice, and recommended dose of chemical fertilization (CF) on changes in soil organic phosphorus (P) and its fractions under rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system. The 4-year experiment (2009–2013), under split-plot design, showed that OF did not increase the total P or total organic P content of soil under either of the test crops. However, OF maintained the higher level of labile organic P and moderately labile organic P in soil under wheat the moderately stable organic P and highly stable organic P was highest in paddy soil under CF practices (11.34 and 7.77 μg g^?1, respectively) followed by wheat. The P concentration in organically grown rice or wheat grain was increased significantly compared with their CF counterparts. The productivity economics for rice and wheat crops showed INM fertilization to be more economical than OF.     

Effect of conjoint use of bio-organics and chemical fertilizers on yield,soil properties under French bean–cauliflower-based cropping system

This study investigates the effect of conjoint use of bio-organics (biofertilizers + crop residues + FYM) and chemical fertilizers on yield, physical–chemical and microbial properties of soil in a ‘French bean–cauliflower’-based cropping system of mid hills of the north-western Himalayan Region (NWHR) of India. Conjoint bio-organics at varied levels of NPK chemical fertilizers increased yield of ‘cauliflower’ over corresponding single application. Incorporation of crop residues with 75% of the recommended NPK application resulted in the highest yield (19 t ha^?1). Conjoint use of bio-organics produced a yield (15.65 t ha^?1), which was statistically on a par with 75% of the recommended NPK application alone. This indicated a saving of 75% NPK chemical fertilizers. In the case of ‘French bean’, the effect was non-significant. The results also showed significant higher soil available N (351.3 kg ha^?1) under 75% NPK + biofertilizers, whereas the highest soil available K (268.3 kg ha^?1) was recorded under 75% NPK + crop residues. Lowest bulk density (1.03 Mg m^?3), highest water holding capacity (36.5%), soil organic matter (10.6 g kg^?1), bacterial (4.13 × 10⁷ cfu g^?1) and fungal (6.3 × 10⁷ cfu g^?1) counts were recorded under sole application of bio-organics. According to our study, we concluded that the combination of NPK fertilizers and bio-organics increased yield except French bean, soil available N, K and saved chemical fertilizers under ‘French bean–cauliflower’-based cropping system.     

Phytoextractability of lead from soil by some oilseed crops as affected by sewage sludge and farmyard manure

Abstract

Screenhouse experiments were conducted to study the phytoextractability of lead (Pb) by three oilseed crops (Brassica juncea, Brassica napus and Eruca sativa) from Pb enriched (i.e. 0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg Pb kg^?1 soil) unamended, sewage sludge-amended (SS-amended) and farmyard manure-amended (FYM-amended) sandy loam soil. Chlorotic symptoms and stunted growth were observed at Pb₆₀₀ and Pb₈₀₀ treatments. Sewage sludge and FYM slightly decreased chlorosis. The biomass production for amendment treatments followed the order: FYM-amended > SS-amended > Unamended soil, and for species: Brassica juncea > Brassica napus > Eruca sativa. The Pb concentration followed the order: leaf > stem > seed, Brassica napus > Brassica juncea > Eruca sativa, and SS-amended > Unamended > FYM-amended soils. The Pb uptake followed the order: Brassica juncea > Brassica napus > Eruca sativa, and SS-amended > Unamended > FYM-amended soils. Exchangeable and Fe-Mn oxide bound fractions decreased and organic matter bound fraction increased with sewage sludge and FYM. The carbonate bound fraction considerably decreased with FYM.