Field performance of Solid Manures and their Slurries on Growth, Yield and Quality of Potato in Old Brahmaputra Floodplain Soils Abstract:

Abstract

Continuous use of chemical fertilizers declines crop yield and deteriorates soil fertility. For sustenance of crop productivity and soil fertility integration of chemical fertilizers with manures is a timely approach. An experiment was, therefore, conducted to evaluate the field performances of different types of manure including cowdung (CD), cowdung slurry (CD slurry), trichocompost (TC), vermicompost (VC), poultry manure (PM) and poultry manure slurry (PM slurry) with integrated use of chemical fertilizers during 2011-12 and 2012-13 at Bangladesh Agricultural University farm. The field trials comprised eight treatments which included T1: Control (no manure or fertilizer), T2: High yield goal (HYG) based 100% chemical fertilizers (CF), T3: CD + CF (IPNS basis), T4: CD slurry + CF (IPNS basis), T5: PM + CF (IPNS basis), T6: PM slurry + CF (IPNS basis), T7: TC + CF (IPNS basis) and T8: VC + CF (IPNS basis). Cowdung, CD slurry, TC and VC were added to soil at 5 t ha-1 while PM and PM slurry were applied at 3 t ha-1. The results revealed that TC and VC containing treatments produced higher crop yield and next to them PM slurry and CD slurry performed better in respect of potato yield. Integrated use of manure and fertilizers gave on an average 6.7-33.7% yield increase in potato over sole chemical fertilizers treatment. The lowest yield was observed in control. These results show that Trichocompost and vermicompost in combination with chemical fertilizers are suitable for quality potato production.