Application Of Poultry Manure Research Articles

English

An experiment to determine the effect of poultry manure (PM) application rates on growth and yield of S. senegalensis was conducted at the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The experiment was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) of four rates of poultry manure (0, 10, 20 and 30 t ha–1) replicated three times. Analysis of variance results indicated that PM significantly (p < 0.05) influenced most of the growth attributes measured with 20 t ha-1 having the longest vine (106.5 and 140.3 cm) at 4 and 5 MAT, respectively. It also produced more leaves (77.9, 132.1, 175.9 and 250) at 2, 3, 4 and 5 MAT, respectively and had the highest number of branches of 13.85, 22.70, 27.6, 39.2 and 61.1 across the months. Most of the phenological traits were positively influenced by PM rates. Earliest days to 60% (138.0 days) and 100% (167.0 days) flower bud formation, flower bud break (191.0 days) and fruit formation (194.3 days) were associated with 30 t ha–1 of PM. Poultry manure had no significant effect on all the yield components and yield measured. Although, PM applied at 20 t ha–1 had the earliest days (706) to harvest and had the tendency to increase S. senegalensis yield. Further increase of PM rate beyond 20 t ha–1 decreased growth and yield traits taken. The use of PM at 20 t ha–1 appeared optimum and could be recommended for the cultivation of S, senegalensis in the study area. Key words: Saba senegalensis, poultry manure, food insecurity, growth, yield.

Evaluation of Various Organic Amendment Sources to Improve the Root Yield and Sugar Contents of Sugar Beet Genotypes (Beta vulgaris L.) under Arid Environments

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a sucrose-rich tap root crop, with its fresh root containing up to 20% sucrose contents. Natural organic fertilizers can be a good alternative to synthetic fertilizers. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted for the optimization of different organic amendments i.e., farmyard manure, poultry manure, compost, and biochar. After the optimization experiment, pre-optimized doses of different organic amendments (farmyard manure, 40 t ha−1; poultry manure, 20 t ha−1; compost, 40 t ha−1; and biochar, 20 t ha−1) were evaluated for the production and root quality of two diverse sugar beet genotypes. The experiment was repeated over time (2019 and 2020) at four locations (BZU Research Farm Layyah, Farmer Field Layyah, Farmer Field Bhakkar-A and Farmer Field Bhakkar-B). Among different organic amendments, the use of an optimized rate of poultry manure (20 t ha−1) was the most useful for improvement in root yield, sugar yield and sugar quality. Improvement in root yield was attributed to better leaf growth and root yield which resulted eventually in higher reserve accumulation in roots. The performance of genotype ‘California’ was superior to the genotype ‘Serenada’. In conclusion, growing of genotype ‘California’ in sandy loam soils with poultry manure application (20 t ha−1) might be a pragmatic option to improve the sugar beet yield and sugar recovery.

Effect of Different Organic Manures and Their Levels on Nutrient Status and Soil Microbial Activity under Rose (Rosa bourboniana Desportes) Cultivation

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different organic manures and their levels on nutrient status and soil microbial activity in rose at Hisar during 2020-21. The treatments comprised of 3 different types of organic manures viz., farm yard manures, vermicompost and poultry manure and 4 levels control, 4 kg/m2, 5 kg/m2 and 6 kg/m2. The experiment was carried out in the split plot design with three replications. Observation on organic carbon, dehydrogenase activity and alkaline phosphatase activity, N, P and K content in rose leaves and available N, P and K content in soil at the time of harvest were recorded. Organic carbon in soil was maximum (0.93%) with the application of vermicompost while dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activity were highest with the application of farmyard manure and poultry manure, respectively. Nitrogen (2.17%) and phosphorus (0.27%) content were maximum in rose leaves at harvest stage with the application of poultry manure while Potassium (1.41%) content was maximum vermicompost. Same trend was observed in the nutrient status of soil with the application of different organic manures. It is concluded that the application of poultry manures had pronounced effect on microbial activity and nutrient status in rose.

Effects of poultry manure on structure and some indicators of fertility in tropical soils

ABSTRACT Adequate use of poultry manure under tropical conditions can contribute to the recovery of degraded soils. The objective was to evaluate the effect of poultry manure on structure and some indicators of fertility in tropical soils such as Inceptisol Mollic Eutrudept Ustept, Inceptisol Ustept, Rhodic Eutrustox, Pellic Vertisol Typic Hapluster and Aquic Plinthic Kandiustalf. Five experiments were established under controlled conditions, one in each soil, using samples of 0–20 cm soil depth. The treatments were: control without the application of poultry manure, 2 t ha−1 of poultry manure, 4 t ha−1 of poultry manure, 6 t ha−1 of poultry manure, 8 t ha−1 of poultry manure, 10 t ha−1 of poultry manure. The results showed increases in pH and organic matter that contributed to greater availability of phosphorus and potassium, as well as improvements in soil structure and stability. The best results of the application of poultry manure were obtained using 6 t ha−1. The R2 values of 0.93 (pH versus assimilable potassium), 0.77 (organic matter versus structure factor) and 0.67 (pH versus assimilable phosphorus) indicated that poultry manure can achieve effects on the recovery of degraded soils regardless of the type and content of clay.

The applications of renewable natural gas in ammonia stripping and its impacts on microbial diversity to enhance biogas production

The feasibility of using renewable natural gas for ammonia stripping in anaerobic digestion of poultry manure application was investigated and compared with ammonia stripping with air. Renewable natural gas and air led to comparable ammonia removal efficiencies of up to 60 and 69 % under elevated pH and temperature (9.5 and 55 °C), respectively. The consequential improvement from these treatments on biogas production was 58 and 70 % for samples treated with renewable natural gas and air, respectively. Shotgun metagenomic microbial analysis revealed that the hydrogenotrophic pathway was responsible for most biogas production as the archaeal relative abundance of Methanoculleus bourgensis was about 95 % in all digestates. Moreover, ammonia stripping did not impact the diversity of the microbial consortia but decreased the inhibitory effects on hydrogenotrophic archaea.

Effect of Plant Density and Poultry Manure Application on the Growth and Yield of Egusi (Citrullus colocynthis) in Anyigba Kogi State Nigeria

Effect of Plant Density and Poultry Manure Application on the Growth and Yield of Egusi (Citrullus colocynthis) in Anyigba Kogi State Nigeria

Experimental design study on the antimicrobial effect of compound herbs on poultry manure fed to ruminants

In this paper, an experimental scheme based on poultry manure as a feed additive for ruminants along with a compound herbal medicine as a bacterial inhibitor of poultry manure was proposed by implementing linear simulations by polynomial cubic fitting method on today's topical environmental pollution issues of chicken manure and straw. The results of the fitting yielded that the herbal medicine addition at 1% was the best ratio value to effectively inhibit the bacteria of poultry manure and promote the growth of cattle. Therefore, this herbal dosing is effective for feeding ruminants. It also provides a new scientific research method for the application of poultry manure in ruminant feeding today.

Growth Characters and Yield of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) as Influenced by Organic Nutrient Management

An experiment was undertaken at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala to study the effect of organic nutrition on growth attributes and yield of taro during 2019-20 to 2020-21. The treatments comprised six levels of organic sources (S1 - FYM + wood ash; S2 - FYM + wood ash + PGPR mix I; S3 - FYM + wood ash + PGPR mix I + vermiwash; S4 - Poultry manure + wood ash; S5 - Poultry manure + wood ash + PGPR mix I; S6 - Poultry manure + wood ash + PGPR mix I + vermiwash) and two levels of in-situ green manuring (G1 - in-situ green manuring with cowpea; G2 - in-situ green manuring with dhaincha ) with three controls (C1 - Nutrient management through chemical fertilizers as per KAU PoP (80:25:100 kg NPK ha-1); C2 - Nutrient management as per KAU organic PoP (Adhoc); C3 - Absolute control). During both years, the highest plant height was recorded with application of poultry manure along with wood ash, PGPR-mix I and vermiwash (S6) at all stages of crop growth. Cormel yield was also the highest for the organic source S6 during both years. In-situ green manuring with dhaincha (G2) was found superior to cowpea in producing taller plants, more leaves per plant and cormel yield during both years. The treatment S6G2 was found equally effective as chemical nutrient management and superior to existing Adhoc organic management of KAU and absolute control in case of both growth parameters and yield. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded that organic nutrition involving the application of poultry manure, wood ash along with PGPR mix I, vermiwash and in situ green manuring with dhiancha can be adopted for organic cultivation of taro.

Combined application of chemical fertilizers, organics and foliar spray of zinc and iron on yield, quality and water productivity of aerobically grown rice (Oryza sativa) in calcareous soil

Increasing multi-nutrient deficiencies and water scarcity is a major challenge for rice cultivation. In calcareous soils, nitrogen (N), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies are major constraints for aerobically grown rice. Thus, a field study was conducted in factorial randomized block design with 18 treatment combinations viz. 75% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through chemical nutrient source and 25% RDN through of organic sources (vermicompost or poultry manure or farm yard manure) and foliar spray with Zn and Fe at tillering and panicle initiation stage. All the growth related traits, yield attributes, yield and nutrient uptake were significantly influenced by nutrient management practices. On an average, mean grain yield was improved by 28.5% with the application of 100% RDN through chemical fertilizers + 25% RDN through vermicompost over alone 100% RDN through chemical fertilizer. Higher nitrogen uptake (100.4 kg ha−1), phosphorous (14.7 kg ha−1), potassium (95.9 kg ha−1), iron (1085.1 g ha−1) and zinc (295.1 g ha−1) were also recorded with same treatment. Application of 75% RDN through chemical fertilizer + 25% RDN through poultry manure recorded significantly higher water productivity of 0.130 US$/m3 than all other treatments while application with 100% RDN through chemical fertilizers recorded lowest water productivity of 0.091 US$/m3. The present finding indicates that under current situation of declining water resources and increasing multi-nutrient deficiencies, combined application of chemical fertilizers and poultry manure along with foliar spray of Zn and Fe will enhance the quality produce, and water productivity in aerobically grown rice in calcareous soils.

Effect of organic manures and micronutrients on seed production of carrot (Daucus carota L.)

The experiment was conducted during 2021-22 in rabi season. The field study to assess the effects of organic manures and micronutrients on seed production of carrot (Daucus carota L.) cv. Pusa Rudhira was carried out at Horticulture farm, SKNCOA, Jobner, Rajasthan, India. The study revealed that the application of Poultry manure @ 2.5 t/ha significantly increased the plant height (41.95 cm), Number of shoots per plant (12.71), chlorophyll content (1.11 mg/100g), days to 50% umbel initiation (134.50 days) , number of umbels per plant (17.30), number of seed per umbel (1177.35), diameter of umbel (16.71 cm), seed weight per plant (8.43 g), days to seed maturity (185.27 minimum days) and seed yield per hectare (6.24 q/ha). Similarly, the spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.5% to the carrot crop significantly increased the plant height (40.60 cm), number of shoots per plant (12.49), chlorophyll content (1.07 mg/100g), days to 50% umbel initiation (133.51 days), number of umbels per plant (16.30), number of seed per umbel (1175.30), diameter of umbel (16.10 cm), seed weight per plant (8.39 g), days to seed maturity (184.12 days ) and seed yield per hectare (6.21 q/ha)

EFFECTS OF NUTRIENT SOURCES AND AGRO-ECOLOGY ON PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL IN BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

The study was conducted at both Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University teaching and research farm, Bauchi located in the Northern Guinea Savannah and also at Bulkachuwa village of Katagum LGA located in Sudan Savannah both in Bauchi state, during the wet seasons of 2016, 2017 and 2018 to investigate the effects of nutrient sources and agro-ecology on physic-chemical properties of soil. The treatments consisted of a factorial combination of five nutrient sources (poultry manure, cow dung, chicken feather, municipal waste, mineral fertilizer) and a control and two varieties of castor (Ex-India 1 and 2), these gave 12 treatment combinations and laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results of the experiment revealed a significant (P≤0.05) difference among the treatments used throughout the study period. The results of the soil analysis before the conduct of the experiment revealed that, the soil in both locations is sandy loam in texture. It also indicated that, the soils are slightly acidic, low in organic carbon, available P (mg/kg) and total N (g/kg) while the exchangeable cations (cmol/kg) are medium, following the ESU rating. The result after treatment application showed that, soil texture remained the same (sandy loam) in both locations. The soil pH was neutral to slightly acidic while organic carbon ranged from medium to high with highest value in poultry manure and chicken feather in Bauchi but generally low to medium in Bulkachuwa location. Available P and total N were medium to high in Bauchi but low to medium in Bulkachuwa location. However, the exchangeable cations were rated to be high in both locations following ESU rating. Based on the results of this study, Application of poultry manure or chicken feather at the rate of 2 tons/ha should be adopted by farmers in the study area for good soil fertility restoration.

Effect of biofertilizers and nutrient sources on the performance of mungbean at Rupandehi, Nepal

Nutrient management has been a major constraint in mungbean cultivation, resulting in huge economic losses to farmers. A field experiment was conducted at Paklihawa, Rupandehi, Nepal to evaluate the effects of different biofertilizers and nutrient sources on yield, performance, and economics of mungbean in 2020. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design comprising of three treatments of biofertilizers in the main plot i.e., Control, Rhizobium , and Azotobacter, and six treatments of organic and inorganic fertilizers in sub-plots i.e., Control, Farm Yard Manure (FYM) @5000 kg/ha, Poultry Manure (PM) @3000 kg/ha, Recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (RDF) @20:40:20 kg/ha, and Poultry manure in combination with the recommended dose of chemical fertilizer. The experiment results revealed that in the case of biofertilizer application, the highest grain yield was obtained by Rhizobium inoculation (1019.32 kg/ha) and with Azotobacte r inoculation (962.57 kg/ha) as compared to control (756.35 kg/ha). In the case of fertilizer application, integrated application of poultry manure and recommended dose of fertilizers resulted in a higher yield (1045 kg/ha), which is statistically similar to the combination of farmyard manure and recommended dose of fertilizers (991.08 kg/ha), followed by the solo use of fertilizer and control. The treatment with the recommended dose of fertilizers alone resulted in higher economics, while interaction with Rhizobium resulted in a benefit-cost ratio of 3.96. Moreover, organic manure treatment in control plots contributed to a low benefit-cost ratio (3) compared to other combinations of treatments (>3). The authors suggested the use of biofertilizers in combination with other fertilizers for better crop yields and high economic returns. However, further research is required to conclude the effects of different nutrient sources on successful mungbean cultivation. • The integrated application of biofertilizers and chemical fertilizers has a synergistic effect on the yield and performance of mungbean. • The recommended dose of fertilizers provided with Rhizobium inoculation resulted in higher economics. • Further comprehensive experimental research is needed to arrive at a more consistent and bolder conclusion.

Occurrence of veterinary antibiotics in poultry manure from two farms in Ibadan, Nigeria: Ecotoxicological implications in manure-amended soil.

Veterinary antibiotics are commonly used in poultry farming for preventing diseases and promoting growth. As a result of their incomplete metabolism in poultry birds, veterinary antibiotics are usually excreted and are frequently detected in poultry manures. Veterinary antibiotics in poultry manure applied onto soil may pose serious ecological effect to the terrestrial and aquatic environment. In the present work, the occurrence of three veterinary antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, sulfadimidine and trimethoprim), categorized as veterinary antimicrobial agents of critical importance, was investigated in poultry manure from two poultry farms in Nigeria. The potential ecotoxicological risk of target veterinary antibiotics in poultry manure-amended soil was also assessed. A modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction was adopted for the extraction of target veterinary antibiotics and instrumental analysis was achieved by high performance liquid chromatography. Sulfamethoxazole, sulfadimidine and trimethoprim were quantified in poultry manures from the poultry farms up to 12.7 μg g-1, 16.1 μg g-1 and 33.8 μg g-1, respectively. Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in poultry manure-amended soil presented low risk to Eisenia fetida (earthworm). The ecological effect of sulfamethoxazole for the root length of rice was high in Farm B and medium in Farm A. Sulfamethoxazole presented high risk to aquatic organisms while sulfadimidine and trimethoprim posed medium risk and low risk, respectively to aquatic organisms. The results indicated that residual veterinary antibiotics in poultry manures could have adverse effects on crops after application to agricultural soil. There is a need for effective enlightenment programs for poultry farmers in Nigeria to bring about awareness on the environmental and toxicological impact of the excessive and uncontrolled use of veterinary antibiotics in poultry farming and the adverse ecological implications of poultry manure application on farmlands.

Influence of poultry manure rates on proximate, mineral, vitamin and anti-nutrient compositions of Baobab (Adansonia digitata) leaves

Succulent leaves of two accessions of Baobab (Odo-Ere and Okoloke) grown under three poultry manure rates (PM) (0, 15 and 30 t ha-1) were harvested and assayed for proximate, mineral, vitamin and anti-nutrient compositions using standard analytical procedures in replicated trials. Results of the analysis of variance revealed a significant (p<0.05) effect of accession and poultry manure on some proximate, mineral, vitamin and anti-nutrient contents of Baobab leaves. Accession sourced from Okoloke contained higher carbohydrates and protein while Odo-Ere accession had higher moisture content. Application of 15 t ha-1 of PM increased moisture content. The effect of accession was non-significant (p>0.05) on mineral contents. No application of PM enhanced iron, iodine and zinc concentrations. Vitamins B6, E and carotenoid contents were higher in Okoloke. Application of 30 t ha-1 of PM increased vitamin B6 and carotenoids. Odo-Ere produced higher flavonoids, oxalate and phytate while Okoloke contained higher phenol. Application of 30 t ha-1 of PM increased phenol content. Plants grown without PM and plants treated with 15 t ha-1 of PM topped regarding saponin. Biplot analysis revealed wide variability in nutritional qualities of Baobab leaves in response to the combined effects of accession and poultry manure. The results provided further insight into the utilization potential of leaves of Baobab. Furthermore, the results showed that poultry manure application could have a positive impact on the vitamin, proximate and anti-nutrient contents of Baobab leaves.

Toxicity of ZnO and Fe2O3 nano-agro-chemicals to soil microbial activities, nitrogen utilization, and associated human health risks

BackgroundVarious nano-enabled agrochemicals are being extensively used for soil remediation and to boost crop production by increasing the nutrient efficiency of fertilizers. However, understanding of their potential risks on the manure–soil–plant continuum is limited. These nano-agrochemicals can be potentially toxic to soil microbes and their associated functions, such as nitrogen (N) mineralization and decomposition of organic materials. Moreover, the accumulation of nanoparticles (NPs) in edible crops may reduce food quality, and can cause serious threats to human health. Accordingly, here we investigated how zinc (ZONPs) and iron oxide (IONPs) nanoparticles affect the soil microbial communities, their efficiency of decomposition and N mineralization, radish yield, and plant N recovery after soil application of poultry manure (PM). Furthermore, we studied the associated health risks (DIM, HRI) via dietary intake of radish.ResultsSoil application of ZONPs and IONPs significantly (P < 0.05) increased microbial biomass Zn/Fe indicating their microbial utilization. This decreased the colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria and fungi. For example, the application of PM with ZONPs and IONPs decreased the CFU of bacteria by 32% and 19%, respectively. In case of fungi, the CFU reductions were slightly different (ZONPs: 28% and IONPs: 23%). Consequently, the N mineralization significantly decreased by 62% and 29% due to ZONPs and IONPs, respectively. Which ultimately resulted in the reduction of radish dry matter yield by 22% and 12%. The respective reductions of the apparent N recovery (ANR) were 65% and 39%. Health risk assessment indicated that DIM and HRI values from both the NPs lie under safe limits.ConclusionsWe conclude that both metal oxide nanoparticles (i.e., ZONPs and IONPs) can significantly affect the soil microbial community, their associated functions, and crop yield with the former being relatively more toxic. However, no evidence was found regarding the health risks to humans via dietary radish intake. These toxicological effects imply restricting the widespread production and use of NPs, and developing strategies for their safe disposal to avoid their contact with soil beneficial microorganisms.

Effect of Organic Manures and Fish Amino Acid on Growth and Yield of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.)

A field experiment was conducted during zaid season of 2022 at an experimental field of the Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology And Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India to determine the “Effect of organic manures and fish amino acid on growth and yield of foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.)”. The treatments consist of FYM 10t/ha, poultry manure 1.6t/ha, vermicompost 1.6t/ha, foliar application of fish amino acid with 2%, 3%, 4% and control. The variety taken was SIA 3156. The experiment was carried out through a statistical design of Randomized Block Design with 10 treatments, replicated thrice. Report of the study indicate that, among different treatments application of poultry manure 1.6 t/ha and fish amino acid 3% produced significantly higher plant height (94.03 cm), higher plant dry weight (20.98 g), higher number of tillers/hill (5.27), higher crop growth rate (0.01367g/m2/day), higher leaf area index (0.066), higher number of spikes/plant (4.27), higher length of spike (16.14 cm), higher number of grains/spike (3081.20), higher test weight (3.71 g), higher grain yield (2.35 t/ha) and higher straw yield (5.53 t/ha).

The Use of Raw Poultry Waste as Soil Amendment Under Field Conditions Caused a Loss of Bacterial Genetic Diversity Together with an Increment of Eutrophic Risk and Phytotoxic Effects.

Poultry waste has been used as fertilizer to avoid soil degradation caused by the long-term application of chemical fertilizer. However, few studies have evaluated field conditions where livestock wastes have been used for extended periods of time. In this study, physicochemical parameters, metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene, and ecotoxicity indexes were used for the characterization of chicken manure and poultry litter to examine the effect of their application to agricultural soils for 10years. Poultry wastes showed high concentrations of nutrients and increased electrical conductivity leading to phytotoxic effects on seeds. The bacterial communities were dominated by typical members of the gastrointestinal tract, noting the presence of pathogenic bacteria. Soils subjected to poultry manure applications showed statistically higher values of total and extractable phosphorous, increasing the risk of eutrophication. Moreover, while the soil bacterial community remained dominated by the ones related to the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients and plant growth promotion, losses of alpha diversity were observed on treated soils. Altogether, our work would contribute to understand the effects of common local agricultural practices and support the adoption of the waste treatment process in compliance with environmental sustainability guidelines.

Influence of Poultry Manure Application Rates on Red and Yellow Varieties of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in the Marginal Mineral Soil of Bukit Kor (Marang)

Increased crop yields and higher soil quality can be achieved by using the appropriate amount of fertiliser at the right time. A study on optimal poultry fertiliser rates for watermelon development on nutrient deficient soil, contributes to the current knowledge base. Thus, this paper intends to ascertain the effect of different application rates of poultry fertilizer on growth and yield properties of two cultivars of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) on soil with marginal nutrients. Accordingly, an experiment was conducted at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu's research farm at Bukit Kor (Marang) to compare the effects of various application rates (T1: 0T/Ha, T2: 10T/Ha, T3: 20T/Ha, T4: 30T/Ha) of poultry manure on the performance of two watermelon varieties (V1:yellow variety (golden delight) and V2:red variety (new dragon)). Several growth and yield parameters were determined, of which the treatments on the red variety at 20THa^-1 and 30THa^-1 produced the significant higher results for vine length (189.38 & 189.43cm), number of leaves (61 & 63), number of lateral branches (2.5 & 2.33), leaf area index (0.12 & 0.13), chlorophyll content SPAD (36.32 & 37.03), fruit weight (10.23 & 9.84THa^-1) and number of flowers (8.33 & 11.7). The present research, therefore, contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the red variety of watermelon treated with 20THa^-1 or 30THa^-1 presented the best results.

Influence of mulch and poultry manure application on soil temperature, evapotranspiration and water use efficiency of dry season cultivated okra

Sustainable vegetable production especially during the dry season requires adequate conservation of soil water. This study was conducted to evaluate the sole and interactive effects of mulching (M) and poultry manure (PM) application on soil temperature (ST), crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and water use efficiency (WUE) of okra. The experiment was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. The treatments were M at 0 and 6 t ha−1 and PM at 0, 10 and 20 t ha−1. Soil temperature was measured using digital thermometer while ETc was determined by water depletion method using a Time Domain Reflectometer. Irrigation at field capacity was applied manually at 2-day intervals. Independent application of mulch significantly lowered ST while joint application of 20 t ha−1 PM (PM20) and M significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced ST at 5 cm and 10 cm soil depth compared with the unmulched plots in both seasons. Application of 10 t ha−1 PM (PM10) without M recorded the highest ETc (43.7 mm), while joint application of PM20 and M reduced ETc by about 93% compared with PM10 only. Okra used water most efficiently when PM20 was applied under mulched plot. There was 62.2% increase in WUE under mulched plots compared with the control while the residual effect of PM10 and M significantly increased WUE by 65.5%. It was evident that M alongside application of PM is a good strategy for regulating ST, moderating ETc and increasing okra WUE, especially during dry season farming.

Effect of Organic Nutrients on Growth and Flowering Attributes of African Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) under Terai Region of West Bengal

A field experiment was conductedat Instructional farm, Department of Floriculture, Medicinal and Aromatic plants, Faculty of Horticulture, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya during 2019-2020 to study the “Effect of organic nutrients on growth and flowering attributes of African Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) under Terai region of West Bengal” with the objectives of different organic inputs for production of quantitative and qualitative flowers of African Marigold. Now a day’s organic cultivation practices have immense potentiality due to huge demand as because it resulted low health hazards as well as gave pollution free environment and improved soil fertility. The experiment was laid out by following Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design, consists of two factors in which first factor was varieties (Pusa Bahar-V1 and Pusa Narangi Gainda- V2)and second factor was ten treatments combination. Different Organic nutrients like Farm Yard Manure (FYM), Vermicompost, Poultry Manure, Sea Weed extract, Vermi wash and Mustard oil cake extract used in the experiments as basal application and foliar spray according to the treatments. The vegetative and floral attributes were recorded at peak flowering stage and the data was statisticallyanalysed. The data was significantly differed among the varieties, treatments and different treatment combinations with varieties. Between the two varieties, var.Pusa Narangi Gainda (V2) showed early flowering compared to var. Pusa Bahar (V1) but the longer duration of flowering (49.41 days) was observed with the var. Pusa Bahar (V1). Among the ten treatments,the treatment T10 (Poultry Manure @ 2.5t/ha + Vermiwash @ 3%) resulted the best against the important flowering parameters like total number of flowers per plant (55.73) and weight of ten fresh flowers (103.08 g). The var.Pusa Narangi Gainda when treated with Poultry Manure @ 2.5t/ha + Vermiwash @ 3% (T10)showed better performance in respect of several morphological and quality parameters of African Marigold. It may be recommended that the application of Poultry Manure@ 2.5t/ha as basal with combination of Vermi wash @3% spraying attwice (30 and 45 days after transplanting) during the plant growth for quantitative and qualitative producesof African Marigold in the terai region of West Bengal.