Abstract
Three field experiments were carried out over two growing seasons to evaluate the response of weeds and the volume of fruit trees; peach, pear and olive to composting of manures at 10 kg·m-2. Planting holes were prepared early January. Animal manures from different sources; broiler, cow, layer and sheep were mixed in the top 20-cm of the soil surface over a 40-cm band X 2.5m row per treatment in the planting row then either non covered or covered with black polyethylene (BPE) sheets for six weeks or for the period from January to October. Trees were then planted late February. The same treatments were repeated in November of the next year. Weeds were significantly reduced and fruit trees were significantly larger in the treatments with manures in the BPE-covered treatments as compared to the non-covered treatment. Perennials; Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. and Cardaria draba L. in addition to Convolvulus arvensis L. and Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. tolerated the composting process. Most annual weeds did not appear in composted manure subplots. Main annual weeds included; Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats. A. garacilis Desf. Sinapis arvensis L. Chenpodium album L. in addition to some weeds species belonging to Leguminosae and Caryphyllaceae.
Highlights
The use of composted organic matter, which contains essential nutrients for plants, reduces chemical use, reducing fertilizer imports and or their manufacture
Most annual weeds did not appear in composted manure subplots
The grand means of dry weights of weeds collected from the main treatments with black polyethylene (BPE) cover for 6 weeks (BPE6), or with BPE cover for the whole growing season (BPEC), were significantly lower than in the uncovered treatment (NO BPE) in all fruit tree types (Table 1)
Summary
The use of composted organic matter, which contains essential nutrients for plants, reduces chemical use, reducing fertilizer imports and or their manufacture. Humus contributes to soil fertility by retaining plant nutrients through adsorption. It acts as binding material in the soil, improving soil structure. It is responsible for making clay less susceptible to compaction, silt less susceptible to erosion, and it increases water holding capacity and cation exchange capacity of soil [2,3]. It was always looked upon manure favorably because of its fertilizing value since ancient times. Most of the emitted NH3 is deposited near the emission source which lowers soil pH and may lead to mobilization of aluminum ions, which disturbs the nutrient uptake
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