Abstract
Red soil is characterized by poor physico-chemical properties and low nutrient availability. The present study aimed to examine rich husk ash (RHA) incorporation into red soil at various rates effects on its properties and the growth of cotton seedlings under a plug-seeding in tray experiment. Bulk density was decreased, and water holding capacity and total porosity were increased in red soil with increasing application rate of RHA. The addition of RHA counteracts the acidity of red soil and improves the nutrient availability to plants. The RHA incorporated soils favored the growth of cotton seedlings with improved shoot morphological traits and root architectures. The application rate at a volume ratio of 1:1 of RHA to red soil was found to be optimal for growing cotton seedlings in the present study. The mixture of RHA and red soil at a 1:1 volume ratio plus 2 g L−1 super absorbent polymers exhibited a high nursing seedling efficiency comparable to a commercial growing media under the condition of foliar application of mepiquat chloride at the one-true-leaf stage. RHA can be a promising substitute for peat as growing media for nursing cotton seedlings.
Highlights
Red soil is characterized by poor physico-chemical properties and low nutrient availability
rice husk ash (RHA) application improved the chemical characteristics of red soil (Table 3)
The addition of RHA counteracts the acidity of red soil and improves the nutrient availability to plants
Summary
Red soil is characterized by poor physico-chemical properties and low nutrient availability. The present study aimed to examine rich husk ash (RHA) incorporation into red soil at various rates effects on its properties and the growth of cotton seedlings under a plug-seeding in tray experiment. The application rate at a volume ratio of 1:1 of RHA to red soil was found to be optimal for growing cotton seedlings in the present study. The mixture of RHA and red soil at a 1:1 volume ratio plus 2 g L −1 super absorbent polymers exhibited a high nursing seedling efficiency comparable to a commercial growing media under the condition of foliar application of mepiquat chloride at the one-true-leaf stage. RHA can be a promising substitute for peat as growing media for nursing cotton seedlings. Cotton is grown widely in the hill red soil region of the middle-north section of Jiangxi province as a staple industrial crop[4]. RHA does not be examined for its potential application value as a growing media
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