Abstract
A pot experiment was carried out at the agronomy farm Eastern University, Chenkalady, Batticaloa, to study the impact of locally available organic manures on the nutrient and water holding capacity of sandy regosol. Three organic sources integrated with different rates of recommended chemical fertilizer and were evaluated with sole recommended chemical fertilizer. Twelve treatments including integrated organic manures with chemical fertilizers at different rates, sole organic manure treatment, sole chemical fertilizer treatment at recommended level and at half the recommended level and no fertilizer control. Completely Randomized Design with 3 replicates was used as layout. Soil analysis for available soil nitrogen content, moisture retention, cation exchange capacity and organic matter content were carried out at planting (red onion), just before top dressing and at the time of harvest. Integration of organic manure with chemical fertilizer favorably influenced nitrogen availability in soil. Among the organic manures poultry manure had the greatest influence on soil available nitrogen : content. Organic manures increased the soil moisture retention capacity, with tank silt (Organic deposit in dry mud) ranking first. Soil cation exchange capacity was favorably influenced by organic manure application. Cation exchange capacity was higher in tank silt treatment than other organic sources. Cation exchange capacily was increased from planting stage to just before top dressing and decreased at harvest stage. The soil organic matter content also followed a similar trend. AGRIEAST 2009 (8) p.30-38
Highlights
Soils are irreplaceable and valuable source for markind, where decomposition of organic manwes occured recycling nutricnts from soils to plants
Sandy regosol soil predominating the coastal belt of Batticaloa district is very low in plant nutrients especially nitrogen and poor in olher soil fertility components due to its poor retention capacity
The results clearly indicated that there was a clear relationship between organic matter content and cation exchange capacity of the soil
Summary
Soils are irreplaceable and valuable source for markind, where decomposition of organic manwes occured recycling nutricnts from soils to plants. Sandy regosol soil predominating the coastal belt of Batticaloa district is very low in plant nutrients especially nitrogen and poor in olher soil fertility components due to its poor retention capacity. The nitrogen status can be achieved by the addition of locally available organic compounds, which favours plant growth mainly by improving the retention capacity of regosol soils. In Batticaloa district along the riverbed the salvenia and other water loving plants are deposited, decomposed and formed into a black colour organic compound like compost. These components are locally available along the riverbeds as dry mud during dry seasons and are referred as tank silt. Poultry manures contain about 1 .67Yorutrogen (Lirntong and Pachay a,l99o)
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