Composted Coir Pith Research Articles

Co-composting: A Comprehensive Review of Its Potential in Transforming Coir Pith Waste into Nutrient-rich Manure

Coir industries in India generates around 7.5Mt of coir waste yearly, which is unsuitable for agricultural use due to its high C:N ratio, lignin, phenol, cellulose and tannin content. The accumulation of coir pith leads to adverse environmental problems due to the release of phenolic compounds, lignin, tannins etc. Biodegradation or composting is the best way to manage coir waste and thereby the environmental pollution can be avoided. Co-composting is a method of decomposing multiple organic materials, which aims to create stable humus, and overcome the limitations of composting with a single organic source. Co-composting of coir pith reduces the C:N ratio, lignin content, cellulose content and increases the nutrient contents. In co-composting technology more than one feed stock are used for composting. It can be done by treating the coir pith with organic source of nutrients viz., farm yard manure or poultry manure or agro-industrial wastes or green manure crops or leguminous weeds or treating the coir pith with organic wastes and earthworms, or treating the coir pith lignin degrading micro-organisms and or supplementing the coir pith with lime, rock phosphate etc. along with the organic sources of nutrients mentioned above to speed up the composting process. Co-composting of coir pith resulted in the production of nutrient rich organic manure within a short period of time. Application of coir pith compost had significant effect on the growth and yield attributes of crops. Harnessing the potential of coir pith can lead us towards a more sustainable and greener future.

Rejuvenation of Coastal Sandy Soils through Organics

The coastal zone represents the transition from terrestrial to marine influences and vice versa. They are predominated by sandy soil texture, and have low agricultural productivity due to their properties and are vulnerable to erosion. Effective maintenance of soil organic matter is found to be a pre-requisite to ensure soil health and crop productivity. Therefore, organics based rejuvenation methods for coastal sandy soils need to be developed. A pot culture experiment was done at Kochuveli, Industrial area, in the coastal belt of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, with Amaranthus (variety: Arun) as test crop. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 12 treatments and 3 replications. In the study, effect of different organic manures such as FYM, coirpith compost, vermicompost, city compost, biochar and thermochemical organic fertilizer (TOF), with and without lime on plant growth and yield, soil organic carbon and nutrient dynamics in the southern coastal sandy soils were studied. Soil management using organic manures had considerable impact on the growth and yield characteristics of the crop. Also the analyses of post-harvest soil for nutrient parameters showed that the highest value for organic carbon, nitrogen and potassium were recorded in soil treated with lime+TOF, while the highest value for available phosphorous was recorded in treatment lime+vermicompost. The study showed that soil test based lime application and basal application of TOF @ 25 t ha-1, top dressing with fresh cow dung slurry @ 1kg per 10 litres, along with 272.7 kg rock phosphate and 122.5 kg potassium sulphate ha-1 was the best treatment to improve the soil quality, growth and yield of amaranthus in coastal sandy soils in Thiruvananthapuram district.

Properties of different graded coir pith by Keen-Raczkowski box and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis

Aim: To evaluate the physical and hydrological properties of different graded coir pith and composted coir pith (CPOM) following the Keen-Raczkowski box and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Methodology: The coir pith was collected and composted by PITH PLUS (Pleurotus-sajor-caju). Thereafter, the coir pith and composted coir pith were segregated into different groups based on the size of the particles as 1.0 mm (1000 microns), 0.5 mm (500 microns), and 0.25 mm (250 microns). Based on particle size, the hydrological properties of coir pith and composted coir pith were determined. The physical and hydrological properties were estimated by the Keen-Raczkowski box method and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. Results: Different graded coir pith and composted coir pith of size 0.25 mm showed the highest bulk density (0.60 and 0.48 g cm-3), followed by 0.5 mm size coir pith and composted coir pith, respectively. The highest particle density (0.18 and 0.19 g cm-3) was registered in 1.0 mm coir pith and composted coir pith whereas the lowest particle density was observed in 0.25 mm size coir pith (0.15 g cm-3). The water-holding capacity (817.93 % and 806.97 %) and water in air-dry substrate (25.03 % and 36.094 %) was high in 0.25 mm coir pith and composted coir pith. Interpretation: A 0.25 mm grade of coir pith and composted coir pith showed highest water holding and retaining capacity due to a greater number of small particles being compactly arranged and holding more surface area, and innumerable micropores than other graded particles. Key words: BET analysis, Coir pith, Composted coir pith, Water holding capacity

Fortified Organic Manure and NPK Fertilizer Levels: Influence on Soil Properties, Yield and Micronutrients Biofortification of Brinjal in Coastal Soil

Coastal saline soils are nutrient impoverished where nutrients are in starved state, thus applying increased rate of NPK along with micronutrients fortified organics would greatly improve the soil fertility as well as nutritional quality and yield of vegetable crops. Therefore, we examined the effect of micronutrients fortified organics and NPK levels on the soil properties, yield and quality of brinjal in coastal saline soil. A field experiment was conducted at Ponnanthittu coastal village, near Chidambaram, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu during August – December 2022 in sandy saline soil (EC-1.58 dSm-1; pH-8.54) nature with low organic carbon (2.31 g kg-1), available NPK of 135.56, 9.45 and 157.30 kg ha-1 and the available zinc (0.69 mg kg-1) and iron content (3.87 mg kg-1). The treatments adopted in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications and different levels of NPK viz., control, 100, 125 and 150% recommended levels as factor A and different micronutrients fortified organics viz., 100% Zn Fortified Composted Coir pith (Zn FCCP) @ 6.25 t ha-1), 100% Fe Fortified Composted Coir pith (Fe FCCP) @ 6.25 t ha-1) and 100% Zn + Fe Fortified Composted Coir pith (Zn + Fe FCCP) @ 6.25 t ha-1 as factor B were studied with brinjal. Study results indicated that application of 125 % NPK along with Zn + Fe fortified composted coir pith (Zn + Fe FCCP) was significantly increased the availability of major and micro nutrient status, nutritional quality and yield of brinjal over other treatments in coastal saline sandy soil.

Biofortification of Zinc and Iron through Fortified Organics Along with NPK Levels on the Quality, Nutrient Uptake and Productivity of Brinjal in Coastal Saline Soil

To evaluate the response of zinc and iron fortified organic manure along with NPK levels on nutrient content, uptake and productivity of brinjal in coastal saline soil, a field experiment was conducted in farmer’s field at Ponnanthittu coastal village, near Chidambaram, Cuddalore District, Tamilnadu with brinjal var. Annamalai during August – December 2022. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with four levels of NPK (0, 100, 125, 150%) and three levels of micronutrients (Zn and Fe) fortified organics like 100% Zn Fortified Composted Coir pith (ZnFCCP), 100% Fe Fortified Composted Coir pith (FeFCCP) and 100% Zn + Fe Fortified Composted Coir pith (Zn+FeFCCP) @ 6.25 t ha-1 , respectively). The result showed that individual and combined application of 150 % of NPK along with 100% Zn + Fe Fortified Composted Coir pith (Zn+FeFCCP) @ 6.25 t ha-1 excelled over other treatments and recorded higher values on growth (plant height, number of branches plant-1, Dry matter production), yield (fruit and stover), nutrient content and uptake (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc) of brinjal in coastal saline soil.

The Beneficial Effect of Thermochemical Organic Fertilizer and Root Endophytic Fungi on the Growth of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Aim: To study the effect of thermochemical organic fertilizer (TOF) inoculated with beneficial root endophytes on the growth attributes of tomatoes grown in a nursery. Combined impact of TOF and endophytic fungi like Piriformospora indica and Glomus species on tomato growth parameters such as plant height, shoot length, fresh shoot weight, dry shoot weight, fresh root weight, dry root weight, root volume and root area were assessed.
 Study Design: The experiment was conducted through a completely randomized design with six treatments and 3 replications
 Place and Duration of Study: The protray experiment was conducted at the Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellayani , Kerala Agricultural University between August 2021- September 2021
 Methods: Sterilized tomato seeds were sown in portrays filled with different media. Potting mixture containing soil and coir pith compost was taken as a control treatment. Other treatments were TOF with additions of endophytic fungi like Piriformospora indica (P.indica), Glomus fasciculatum, Glomus mussaea and mixed glomus in TOF. Biometric observations like plant height, shoot length, fresh weight of shoot, dry weight of shoot, fresh weight of root, root dry weight of shoot, root surface area and root volume were observed twenty eight days after sowing.
 Results: Inoculation with P. indica as well as Glomus sp in the medium of TOF improved plant growth compared to the uninoculated soil medium. Among all plant growth parameters analyzed, the maximum values were obtained in plants grown in a medium of TOF+ P. indica. With respect to root fresh weight, there was no significant difference between treatments of TOF + P. indica and TOF+ other Glomus species including G. fasciculatum and G. mossaea. TOF treated with P .indica and G. fasciculatum outperformed as best in the case of root dry weight compared to all other treatments. 
 Conclusion: Beneficial root endophytes like Piriformospora indica and Glomus sp grown in thermochemical organic fertilizer were found to have greater potential in promoting the growth of tomato plants in the nursery.

Technological Breakthrough for Large Scale Bioconversion of Coir Pith towards Sustainable Soil Health Management and Development of Source Point Methane Abatement Model

Coir pith, a byproduct of coir industry, continues to be dumped as a waste in India, because despite its utility being claimed in different applications, an efficient and adoptable technology for its safe utilization is yet unavailable. Due to high lignin content and high C:N ratio, coir pith when left untreated can take decades to decompose, which not only leads to environmental pollution but most importantly methane emission, thereby contributing to climate change. However, once composted, coir pith can transform into an effective soil rejuvenator, considering its utility towards amelioration of especially marginal/ agriculturally degraded soil and improvement of soil productivity. But so far, there is no available composting technology in this respect which is practically feasible, economically viable and socially acceptable.
 Under IBM-IORF Sustainability project (2022-23) at Mandya, Karnataka, an effort was initiated utilizing Novcom Composting Technology, towards bioconversion of coir pith into safe, mature and qualitative compost for sustainable soil management, especially looking at the stony red soils of the area which are erosion prone, and have a poor productive potential.
 Periodical study of Novcom coir pith compost samples on 0, 10, 20 and 30 days confirmed effective degradation as demonstrated by the rapid decline of C:N ratio from 1:100 to < 1:25, appreciation of total nitrogen by 98 percent and 60 % degradation of lignin within a 30 days’ time period. The facts are corroborated by the respective very high (in the order of 1016 c.f.u. per gm or one Trillion Billion microflora per ton compost) population of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes. Phytotoxicity Bioassay test values confirmed not only the absence of phytotoxic elements in compost, but also indicated that this compost can actually accelerate seed germination and root growth process. Estimation of methane mitigation potential under this technology utilizing the carbon assessment tool - Agriculture Carbon Footprint Assessor (ACFA, version: 1.0) indicated that untreated coir pith can potentially emit methane in the range of 5897 – 6025 kg CO2 equivalent (taking GWP24 years of methane: 75).
 GHG emission during biodegradation of coir pith utilizing Novcom Composting Technology, was found to be about 31 times lower (6.47 kg CO2 equivalent/ ton treated waste) than the reference values recorded in respect of any other standard biodegradation process. Especially in terms of methane the negligible emission under this composting technology is the highlight, as corroborated by the documented value of 0.61 kg CO2 equivalent/ ton treated waste. The evaluation confirmed that bioconversion of coir pith utilizing Novcom Composting Technology can enable methane mitigation of about 6000 ton CO2 equivalent per 1000 ton waste, directly from the source point.
 The study indicated that Novcom Composting Technology can transform not only a potential pollutant to a quality organic soil amendment, the process also etches out and effective pathway for methane abatement directly from the source point that has crucial impact not only in respect of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, but also SDG 15, SDG-3 and most importantly SDG-2. Hence, bioconversion of coir- pith utilizing this technology can also facilitate an effective model towards the Net Zero commitment with significant social and environmental impacts.

Organic Amendments Addition on Altering the Sorption, Vertical Movement and Leaching Behavior of Herbicides in Soil

Herbicides are applied indiscriminately to achieve maximum weed control in agricultural production which might contaminate the food chain through the bio-augmentation of residue concentration in soil. One of the management suggested to overcome the herbicides contamination is treating with various organic amendments. Hence the laboratory column leaching and sorption experiments were conducted in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore to investigate the leaching behavior of herbicides viz., pendimethalin, atrazine and imazethapyr in soil as influenced by various organic amendments applied @ 5t/ha viz., FYM, vermicompost, composted coir pith, maize crop residue and biochar. Leaching experiment was conducted using PVC columns of 45 cm length and the sorption study was conducted using different concentrations of chosen herbicides as per OECD guidelines. Results showed that leaching and movement behavior of the studied herbicides in soil was modified by the applied organic amendments particularly the biochar and maize crop residue. Biochar treated soil retained 29.76, 40.20, and 38.07 percent of the applied pendimethalin, atrazine and imazethapyr respectively in surface 0-15 cm depth and reduced its movement to lower depths and to leachates. Herbicides adsorption was higher with biochar and is indicated by the Koc values of 225, 184 and 22 mg/L for pendimethalin, atrazine and imazethapyr respectively and was followed by the maize crop residue. It is concluded that the application of biochar @ 5t/ha as organic amendment is efficient in decreasing the herbicides movement viz., pendimethalin, atrazine and imazethapyr and modifying their sorption and leaching potential to groundwater.

Phytosphere management for enhancing root yield and quality in a highly traded medicinal plant Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC.

Phytosphere management studies for Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC., an essential herbal remedy used in the Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani medical systems, were carried out at AICRP on MAP and B, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University. Treatments for standardizing shade requirements were 25% shade, 50% shade, 75% shade, and completely open growing conditions. The organic manuring treatments included basal application of FYM @ 10 t/ha, FYM @15 t/ha, vermicompost (to supply N equivalent to FYM 10 t/ha), vermicompost (to supply N equivalent to FYM 15 t/ha), coir pith compost (to supply N equivalent to FYM 10 t/ha), coir pith compost (to supply N equivalent to FYM 15 t/ha) and absolute control. Under 75% shade, the highest root production of 7589 kg/ha was observed. The lowest root yield was produced in the open condition (49% lower than the treatment with the highest yield). According to the findings, D. gangeticum could be used as a component in agroforestry systems with a high shade intensity. The root yields were comparable under 50 and 25% shaded conditions. The basal application of farm yard manure at 10 or 15 t/ha produced the highest root yield and total alkaloid content among organic manures. After two years of the experiment, the soil nutrient status revealed a decrease in the amounts of available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to the starting level. The absolute control showed the most significant nutrient depletion, emphasizing the importance of providing crops with manures or fertilizers.

Productivity and profitability of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) under varied crop geometry and soil moisture conservation practices

Rice, a vital staple food, plays a critical role in ensuring food and nutrition security for millions of people. Rice production faces various challenges from both biotic and abiotic stresses, with soil moisture stress being a significant limitation, especially in rainfed upland ecologies. While crop improvement strategies have made progress in addressing abiotic stressors, the complex and diverse nature of these challenges requires a combination of crop improvement and agronomic interventions to stabilize rice productivity and profitability. To explore these factors, an experiment was conducted during the Kharif (rainy) season of 2019 at the instructional farm of the College of Agriculture in Kerala. The aim was to investigate how cropping patterns and in-situ soil moisture conservation practices impact the growth and yield of upland rice. The research employed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), incorporating two distinct crop configurations and strategies for conserving soil moisture. The findings showed that paired-row planting in conjunction with live cowpea mulching, hydrogel application, and coir pith compost was superior in terms of crop growth, as evidenced by elevated Leaf Area Index (LAI) at 4.81 and increased dry matter production at 5.5 t/ha. Furthermore, this approach resulted in higher grain yield (3.8 t/ha), straw yield (7.7 t/ha), improved moisture content (29.12% at 60 days after sowing and 18.49% at physiological maturity), and reduced proline content (0.26 µmol/g FW). The maximized net returns of 62887 Rs/ha. and a Benefit-to-Cost (B:C) ratio of 1.8 was recorded for upland rice.

Effect of integration of inorganic and organic sources of fertilizers on the yield and economics of rice cultivation var. CR1009

The complimentary role of organics as supplements to chemical fertilizers is important for keeping the soil healthy in order to harness the potential yield in rice. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out during the cropping year of 2020-2021 to ascertain the impact of inorganic and organic source fertilizers integration on rice production's yield and its economics in Cauvery deltaic region of Tamil Nadu. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. The experiment comprised of eight treatments viz., T1 - RDF + 12.5 t FYM ( Farmer's practice), T2 - Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + RDF, T3 - Coirpith compost @ 5 t/ha + RDF, T4 - Pressmud compost @ 5 t/ha + RDF, T5 - Poultry manure compost @ 5 t/ha + RDF, T6 - Goat manure compost @ 5 t/ha + RDF, T7 - Bone sludge compost @ 5 t/ha + RDF and T8 - Sewage sludge compost @ 5 t/ha + RDF was applied to see the effect of integration of both organic and inorganic sources of fertilizers on the yield and economics of rice (CR1009) cultivation. The present study's findings showed that the integrative application of vermicompost @ 5t ha-1 along with 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizers (T2) excelled all treatments and gave significantly increased grain yield of 5792 kg ha-¹ with a value of 37 per cent over control and benefit-cost ratio of 3.45. The integrated application of Vermicompost @ 5tha-1 along with 100 per cent recommended dose of NPK registered the highest values in yield attributes, yield and economic returns in rice.

Impact of integrated nutrient management in increasing the yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice is the major staple food of Asia. Non-judicious and imbalanced application of chemical fertilizers not only depletes the native soil nutrient reserve but also causes severe environmental damages viz. greenhouse gas emission, acidification, eutrophication, etc., posing a serious threat to sustainability of rice production. Integrated application of organic manures and chemical fertilizer could be the best option to overcome the adverse impacts associated with the use of chemical fertilizer alone. Hence, the complimentary role of organics as supplements to chemical fertilizers is important for keeping the soil health in order to harness the potential yield in rice. Therefore, field experiment was conducted at Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar during the cropping year of 2020-21 to find out the effect of integrated nutrient management involving inorganic manures along with organic manures viz., vermicompost, pressmud compost, poultry manure compost, goat manure compost, coirpith compost, bone sludge compost and sewage sludge compost on the growth and yield of rice. The results of the experiment revealed that among the integrated nutrient management practices, application of vermicompost @ 5 t/ha along with 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (T2) excelled all treatments and gave significantly higher grain yield of 5792 kg/ha when compared to other treatments. Considering the results of the present investigation, it can be concluded that integrated application of vermicompost @ 5 t/ha along with 100% recommended dose of NPK registered highest values in growth parameters, yield attributes and yield of rice.

A comprehensive study on population dynamics of microbial enrichment of Organic manures

An experiment was conducted in Department of Agriculture, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences,Coimbatore to study the population dynamics of microbially enriched organic manures and their nutrientcomposition. Organic manures such as vermicompost, FYM, and coir pith compost were enriched with thelignite based microbial strains of Rhizobium leguminosorum, Bacillus megatherium and its combined inoculumat a rate of 1 kg per ton of manure and its moisture content was maintained at 50 per cent and incubated for180 days. After their enrichment, the microbial load in the organic manures was enumerated using thestandard plate count technique. The microbial results revealed that the maximum microbial populationwas attained on the 90th day after enrichment. The total microbial population in combined bio fertilizers(Rhizobium and Phosphobacteria) inoculated vermicompost was high during the initial phases and thentotal microbial population declined towards the end. Among the enriched organic manures, the highestpopulation was observed in combined microbial strains enriched with vermicompost (6.52 log10 CFU g-1)whereas, after 3 months the enriched organic manure shows the very less population density.

Effect of nutripriming treatments on growth parameters of riceseedlings in nursery tray

An experiment was carried out at Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy, Kerala to evaluate the effect of nutripriming on tray nursery technique in rice. Nutripriming treatments viz. priming with 0.1% urea, 0.01% borax, 0.05% ZnSO4, combinations of urea with borax and ZnSO4, combination of urea, borax and ZnSO4, 1% Pseudomonas fluorescens and 1% PGPR mix I were applied to seeds grown in seedling trays filled with growing media containing 60% rice husk 154 charcoal + 20% soil + 20% coir pith compost. Combined application of urea, zinc and borax was superior with respect to growth parameters of seedling and mat characteristics. Higher Ca, Mg, S and B uptake was also observed in this treatment. Hence, nutripriming with 0.1% Urea + 0.05% ZnSO4 + 0.01% Borax was found to be a better practice for quality tray nursery production in rice.

​Allelopathic Chemical Screening of Aqueous Extracts of Coir Pith on Seedling Growth of Black Gram (Vigna mungo L.) and Green Gram (Vigna radiata L.)

Background: Black gram (Vigna mungo L.) and Green gram (Vigna radiata L.) were mostly used as chemical residue indicators for testing the persistence of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides, etc. in the soil. Presently, the coir pith was used as a medium of nursery for many seeds and seedling production. This study evaluated the inhibition effects and screening of allelopathic chemicals from aqueous extracts of coir pith and composting coir pith on the back gram and green gram by response index method and GCMS/MS analysis. Methods: The coir pith and composted coir pith soaked the ratio of 1:10 for 24 hrs, filtered through Whatman No.1 filter paper. The inhibition effect tested for germination and seedling growth of black gram and green gram was sown in poly pots. The carbon: nitrogen ratio and the total organic carbon were analyzed by dry combustion method, Kjeldahl method and GCMS/MS analysis. Result: The phytotoxic substances are present in coir pith, which can be exterminated by composting the coir pith for better growth and development of seedlings. The negative response index (RI), high C: N ratio and chemical compounds like tocopherol, fucoxanthin, tetramethyl heptadeca, dichloroacetamide, tetrazole, hydroxyethyl palmitate, neocurdione and uridine derivations present in raw coir may have the phytotoxic effect and produced yellowing symptoms in young plants compared to composted coir pith. This is exterminated by composting the coir pith for better growth and development of seedlings as well as used for various agricultural and horticultural nurseries.

​Nutrient Release Pattern of a Fortified Manure Disc and its Implication on Yield of Tomato in Sandy Soils

Background: Development of fortified organic formulations using various organic sources and fertilizers for soil application will ensure efficient nutrient management in homestead vegetable production systems. Fortified organic formulations will help in preventing nutrient leaching also. Hence, the present study has been undertaken during 2019-20 to develop low cost fortified organic manure discs using various biodegradable agro waste materials and NPK fertilizers and to study its effect on growth and yield of tomato in sandy soils of Kerala. Methods: A fortified manure disc was developed by combining local biodegradable agro waste materials with conventional NPK fertilizers. Organic manures like rice husk ash, cow dung, rice husk, coirpith compost, vermicompost, neem cake and clay were used to develop the manure disc. The combination of organic manures was fortified with fertilizers at various proportions of manure: fertilizer viz., 1:1, 2:1, 0.5:1 and manure alone and used for incubation for a period of two months to study the nutrient release pattern of N, P and K.The 2:1(manure: fertilizer) formulation was selected based on the highest peak of nutrient availability of N, P and K even after 2 months. Effect of fortified manure disc was evaluated by using tomato variety Anagha as test crop in a pot culture experiment. Result: Growth, yield and quality of tomato increased significantly due to the application of fortified manure disc. The highest yield per plant of 0.97 kg was recorded for T8 (50% recommended dose fortified manure disc in 2 splits) and lowest yield was recorded for T9 (Manure alone). The fortified manure disc had a significant influence on nutrient use efficiency also. The highest NUE of 45.5% was recorded in treatment T8 (50% fertilizer fortified discs in 2 splits). Study revealed that fortified manure disc is a promising technology to reduce nutrient leaching and enhancing the nutrient use efficiency in sandy soils. Fifty percentage reduction in the recommended dose of NPK fertilizers were achieved by fortifying the manure disc with fertilizers.Thus the cost of fertilizers and fertilizer load per unit area can be reduced by the application of fortified manure disc which will act as slow release fertilizer.

MOISTURE CONSERVATION PRACTICE BY USING HYDROGEL IN AGRICULTURE: A REVIEW

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. In the agriculture, water is the major resources for crop cultivation in the field, in case of agricultural sector water is the major problem because of onset monsoon. So that less rainfall is occur in the cropped area. Natural rainfall is the source of elixir for crops on the major chunk of arable land. Of the 1.5 billion ha (11% of the world’s land surface of 13.4 billion ha) of cropland worldwide, 1.2 billion ha (82%) is rain fed (FAO, 2005). To minimize the water scarcity problem in the cropped field due to various methods, like moisture conservation practices such as composted coir pith, straw mulch, antitranspirant, hydrogel etc. Hydrogel is the one of the method to maintain the moisture in the cropped field and supply the adequate water for crop growth. The hydrogel maintain the moisture in the field from sowing to harvest of the crops.

Residual effect of organics and direct effect of mineral nitrogen on rice (Oryza sativa L.) in two different textural soils

Nitrogen through organics and inorganics application is an alternate to maintain soil health and crop productivity in the rice cropping system. With this background, field experiments were conducted in farmer’s field at Kuttalam during 2012-2013, 2013-14 to evaluate residual organics and mineral nitrogen (100%N) on growth parameters and yield of rice (Oryza sativa) in sandy clay loam and clay loam soil. The treatments consisted of residual organics viz., composted coir pith (CCP), green manures (GM), sugarcane trash compost (STC), vermicompost (VC), poultry manure (PM) and FYM applied(100%N) and a combination of above residual organics with urea@50%N besides 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) and control. The results revealed that residual organics and urea recorded higher growth parameters like plant height, chlorophyll content, leaf area index(LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate(RGR), net assimilation rate(NAR), No. of tillers/hill compared to their individual addition. The growth parameters were more under residual PM in combination with mineral nitrogen in both the soils. Residual PM + fertilizer nitrogen (100% N) recorded highest grain (4485, 4693 kg ha-1) and straw yield (6984, 5897 kg ha-1) in clay loam and sandy clay loam soils, respectively. The lowest grain(3292, 2993 kg ha-1) and straw yield(4998, 4003 kg ha-1) were recorded in residual GM + fertilizer (100% N) in both soils. Among organics alone, residual PM(100% N) registered highest grain yield (4025, 4048 kg ha-1) in both soils. It can be concluded that the application of poultry manure alone or in combination with N fertilizers enhanced the growth and improved soil health.

Performance of groundnut to different soil fertility amendments in coastal sandy soil

A field experiment was carried out using groundnut variety VRI 2 in coastal sandy soil in Pichavaram coastal village near Chidambaram which represented sandy texture and had a pH-7.44, EC-0.12 dSm-1 and available NPK of 139, 15 and 143 Kg ha-1, respectively. The experiment conducted were nine treatments viz., T1 – Absolute control, T2 - 100% RDF Alone, T3 - 125% RDF Alone, T4 - 100% RDF + Press mud @ 10 t ha-1 + Sea weed extract, T5 – 100% RDF + Vermicompost @ 6 t ha-1 + Sea weed extract, T6 – 100% RDF + Coirpith Compost @ 6 t ha-1 + Sea weed extract, T7 – 125% RDF + Press mud @ 10 t ha-1 + Sea weed extract, T8 – 125% RDF + Vermicompost @ 6 t ha-1 + Sea weed extract, T9 – 125% RDF + Coirpith Compost @ 6 t ha-1 + Sea weed extract. The result revealed that application of 125% RDF + Press mud @ 10 t ha-1 + Sea weed extract (T7) recorded higher values in parameters viz., plant height (63.30cm), Leaf area index (1.48), Number of leaves (45.30), Dry matter production (3816), Pod yield (2157), Kernel yield (1119), nitrogen uptake (68.92), phosphorus uptake(12.64), Potassium uptake (12.64), Calcium uptake (61.57), Magnesium uptake (23.64) and BC ratio (2.88).

Assessing Different Media Composition on Germination, Growth and Yield of Transplanted Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Sesamum, a traditional oilseed crop, is susceptible to poor plant establishment due to various biotic and abiotic factors for which transplanting is a suitable option. Still, suitable media for promoting the growth and establishment of sesame seedlings have not yet been exploited. Therefore, a preliminary field experiment was conducted in 2019 at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai, India, to study the effect of various media compositions on the performance of transplanted sesame. Media compositions such as red earth, FYM, vermicompost and composted coir pith were used. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications. Results revealed that higher seed germination percentage ( 88), establishment percentage (94), vigor index (1674), seedling height (15 cm), capsules plant-1(83), seeds capsule-1 (58), and seed yield ( 839 kg ha-1) were recorded in media comprising red earth: sand: vermicompost: composted coir pith (2:1:1:1) followed by red earth: sand: vermicompost (2:1:1). Therefore, the media composition of red earth: sand: vermicompost: composted coir pith is highly suitable for promoting growth, seedling vigor, and yield enhancement in transplanted sesame.