Inorganic Absorbers Research Articles

Effect on wheat yield and nitrogen uptake from manures made from spent-slurry

The use of liquid spent-slurry as such gave higher wheat yield and more nitrogen uptake than sun-dried slurry. The depressing effect of sun-drying on available nitrogen in slurry was attributed to enhanced irreversibility of the flocculative and peptizing reactions of organic colloidal matter due to desiccation and thus increased resistance to subsequent microbial decomposition and mineralisation of slurry nitrogen. The absorption of liquid slurry in organic absorbents like green leaf powder, dry leaf powder, and saw dust has greatly enhanced its manurial value. On the other hand its absorption in inorganic absorbents like charcoal dust and ash did not increase wheat yield, but nitrogen uptake was somewhat higher than sun-dried slurry. Like ordinary farm compost, the composts prepared by composting liquid slurry with wheat straw and sorghum stover gave lower yield and low nitrogen uptake. The enrichment of slurry with urea and superphosphate gave a manure which has a higher manurial value than ammonium sulphate on equivalent nitrogen basis.