Abstract
Intensive agricultural practices lower soil fertility, particularly micronutrients which are rarely applied to soils as chemical fertilizers. Micronutrient deficiency in soils results in inferior product quality and micronutrient malnutrition in humans. Application of compost to soil may improve crop yields and quality by enhancing macro- and micronutrients availability, enhancing soil microbial population, and improving soil physicochemical properties. Poultry mortality compost (PMC) was prepared by decomposing dead poultry birds with poultry litter in an aerated bin through indigenous microbial populations. The prepared PMC was used as an amendment in three field experiments during 2017–18 and 2018–19 to investigate the effect on yield and nutritional quality of potato, carrot, and radish. In these field trials, two compost levels, i.e., 1250 kg ha-1 (PMC1) and 1850 kg ha-1 (PMC2) were compared with the control (no compost application). The results revealed a 10–25% increase in root or tuber yield at PMC2 compared to that in the control. A substantial increase in Zn, Fe, and Mn concentrations in vegetable root/tubers was also observed. Organic matter content and microbial biomass were improved in the soil with PMC application leading to better soil health and better nutrient availability. These studies led us to conclude that the application of PMC not only enhances the vegetable yield but also biofortifies vegetables with micronutrients such as Zn, Fe, and Mn extending agricultural sustainability and eliminating micronutrient malnutrition in humans.
Highlights
The human population is growing at a startling rate, and it is a big challenge for scientists and policymakers to meet the food requirements [1]
The Poultry mortality compost (PMC) was prepared by composting dead poultry birds with poultry litter collected from the same poultry farms as described by following the methods described by Sivakumar et al [23]
The highest tuber/root and biomass yields were recorded at PMC2 where compost was applied at the rate of 1850 kg ha-1
Summary
The human population is growing at a startling rate, and it is a big challenge for scientists and policymakers to meet the food requirements [1]. Agricultural production has declined worldwide during the last decade due to intensive agriculture and uncertain climate conditions [2]. It is recognized that most of the agricultural soils are being depleted in nutrients, especially. The continuous replenishment of nutrients through inorganic fertilizer is not sustainable. Additional inputs in the form of organic treatment are required for soil nutrient replenishment, sustainable yields, and quality food production
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