Organic Manure Research Articles

Effect of Long-Term Fertilization Practices on the Stability of Soil Organic Matter in the Northeast Black Soil Region in China

Soil organic matter (SOM) is an important carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems and plays a key role in soil functions. Nevertheless, the effects of fertilization practices on the physical, chemical, biological, and comprehensive stability of SOM are still unclear. We carried out a long-term field experiment in the northeast black soil region in China with four different fertilization practices: no fertilizer (CK), single chemical fertilizer (NPK), chemical fertilizer + straw (NPKJ), and chemical fertilizer + organic manure (NPKM). The content of particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM), compound composition of SOM, carbon mineralization characteristics, active soil organic matter (ASOM), and inert soil organic matter (ISOM) were tested. The results showed that the application of fertilizers significantly increased the contents of POM and MAOM to 2.59–4.65 g kg−1 and 32.69–34.65 g kg−1 (p < 0.05), but decreased the MAOM/POM values by 37.8–42.4%, indicating reduced the physical stability of SOM. Fertilization practices increased the contents of aromatic, nitrogen-containing compounds and decreased the oxygen compounds of SOM, representing enhancement of the chemical stability. The contents of ASOM and ISOM increased in fertilization practices, while the biological stability index (BSI) under the NPKJ and NPKM treatments was lower than the CK treatment, suggesting that the biological stability decreased under the manure and straw application. In addition, the comprehensive stability of SOM increased by 26–116% through a reduction in the physical and biological stability, coupled with an increase in the chemical stability. Collectively, our study demonstrated that the application of manure and straw enhanced both the comprehensive stability and content of SOM and reduced the physical and biological stabilities while increasing the chemical stability, which made the largest contribution to the comprehensive stability.

Optimizing nutrient management for sustaining sugarcane yield throughintegration of biochar, digested sludge, liquid slurry and ash applicationswith inorganic fertilizers

A field experiment was laid out during 2023-24 at ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the effect of various nutrient management options on growth performance, yield and quality of sugarcane. Optimized integration of organic sources were evaluated with inorganic nutrient sources in randomized block design with three replications. The result revealed that a significantly higher plant height (407.8 cm), number of tillers (191 × 103/ha), leaf area (511.7 dm2), leaf area index (6.81) and cane yield (91.2 t/ha) of sugarcane were obtained with the integration of 100% synthetic along with 4 t/ha solid digest, which was at par to 100% NP + K through liquid digest, 100% synthetic + 6 t/ha biochar and 100% NP + K through Ash, while the lowest were observed under treatment receiving organic manure alone i.e. 100% N through solid digestate, might be owing to very slow mineralization process of nutrients. These treatments also resulted in an effective combination of organic and inorganic nutrient sources with regard to increased 0brix reading.

Efficiency of different incubating material for phosphate rich organic manure in wheat (Triticum aestivum)

A field experiment was conducted at Centre for Research on Integrated Farming Systems, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar during 2018–19 to 2020–21 to study the efficiency of differ- ent incubating material for phosphate rich organic manure (PROM) in wheat. A total of fourteen treatments such as T1 : Control, T2 : DAP @ 60 kg P2 O5 /ha, T3 : Rock phosphate @ 40 kg P2 O5 /ha incubated with vermicompost, T4 : Rock phosphate @ 60 kg P2 O5 /ha incubated with vermicompost, T5 : Rock phosphate @ 40 kg P2 O5 /ha incubated with FYM, T6 : Rock phosphate @ 60 kg P2 O5 /ha incubated with FYM, T7 : Rock phosphate @ 40 kg P2 O5 /ha incu- bated with compost, T8 : Rock phosphate @ 60 kg P2 O5 /ha incubated with compost, T9 : Rock phosphate @ 40 kg P2 O5/ha incubated with vegetable waste, T10 : Rock phosphate @ 60 kg P2 O5 /ha incubated with vegetable waste, T11 : Rock phosphate @ 40 kg P2 O5 /ha incubated with green algae, T12 : Rock phosphate @ 60 kg P2 O5 /ha incu- bated with green algae, T13 : Rock phosphate @ 40 kg P2 O5 /ha incubated with cow urine and T14 : Rock phosphate @ 60 kg P2 O5 /ha incubated with cow urine were evaluated based on growth parameters, yield attributes and yield. The pooled result of three years experiment indicated that phosphorus source of DAP in wheat (60 kg P2 O5 /ha) can be replaced with Udaipur rock phosphate (31% P2O5 ) @ 198 kg/ha incubated for 30 days with FYM or vermicompost or compost or vegetable waste (each of 593 kg) or cow urine (593 L) in the ratio of 1:3 ratio as basal for obtaining higher yield and net returns.

Combined metabolomic and microbial community analyses reveal that biochar and organic manure alter soil C-N metabolism and greenhouse gas emissions

The use of biochar to reduce the gas emissions from paddy soils is a promising approach. However, the manner in which biochar and soil microbial communities interact to affect CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions is not clearly understood, particularly when compared with other amendments. In this study, high-throughput sequencing, soil metabolomics, and quantitative real-time PCR were utilized to compare the effects of biochar (BC) and organic manure (OM) on soil microbial community structure, metabolomic profiles and functional genes, and ultimately CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions. Results indicated that BC and OM had opposite effects on soil CO2 and N2O emissions, with BC resulting in lower emissions and OM resulting in higher emissions, whereas BC, OM, and their combined amendments increased cumulative CH4 emissions by 19.5 %, 31.6 %, and 49.1 %, respectively. BC amendment increased the abundance of methanogens (Methanobacterium and Methanocella) and denitrifying bacteria (Anaerolinea and Gemmatimonas), resulting in an increase in the abundance of mcrA, amoA, amoB, and nosZ genes and the secretion of a flavonoid (chrysosplenetin), which caused the generation of CH4 and the reduction of N2O to N2, thereby accelerating CH4 emissions while reducing N2O emissions. Simultaneously, OM amendment increased the abundance of the methanogen Caldicoprobacter and denitrifying Acinetobacter, resulting in increased abundance of mcrA, amoA, amoB, nirK, and nirS genes and the catabolism of carbohydrates [maltotriose, D-(+)-melezitose, D-(+)-cellobiose, and maltotetraose], thereby enhancing CH4 and N2O emissions. Moreover, puerarin produced by Bacillus metabolism may contribute to the reduction in CO2 emissions by BC amendment, but increase in CO2 emissions by OM amendment. These findings reveal how BC and OM affect greenhouse gas emissions by modulating soil microbial communities, functional genes, and metabolomic profiles.

Wild Bee Conservation in Viticulture: Effects of Semi-Natural Habitats, Organic Management, and Fungicide Reduction.

In agricultural landscapes, the removal of semi-natural habitats (SNH) and the intensive use of pesticides contribute to declines of biodiversity, including crop pollinators such as bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). However, effects of pesticide use and landscape characteristics on bees have rarely been studied together. In this study, we investigated how SNH in the surrounding landscape, organic and conventional management, and the reduction of fungicides affect wild bee diversity in 32 vineyards in southwest Germany. We used yellow pan traps to sample bees in a crossed design of management (organic vs. conventional) and fungicide use (reduced in fungus-resistant grape varieties vs. regular) along a gradient with increasing proportions of SNH in the surrounding landscape. Higher proportions of SNH influenced species composition of bees and increased the abundance and richness of above-ground-nesting species. Organic vineyards had a 49% higher abundance of bees compared to conventional vineyards. The reduction of fungicides did not affect bee diversity nor abundance. The absence of a response to fungicide intensity suggests that the benefit of organically managed vineyards to wild bees was through differences in their vegetation management, which is in line with the positive response of bees to SNH in the surrounding landscape. Synthesis and applications: Our study underlines that the local provision of diverse vegetation in vineyards and the landscape-scale provision of suitable SNH are key factors for wild bee conservation in viticulture.

Organic manures reduce the bioavailability of fluoride in soil via different mechanisms

Fluoride (F) pollution in soils, which can be caused by long-term application of phosphate fertilizers, has serious socio-economic and ecological impacts. Therefore, it is important to find economically viable and environmentally friendly remediation technologies that mitigating the potential hazards of F-contaminated soil while maintaining crop yields. In this study, a soil incubation experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of two different organic manures at various amounts on soil F content and soil properties. We demonstrated that organic manure application at a rate of 5% was optimal to control the content of available fluoride (AE-F) in soil. Organic manure decreased the AE-F content and increased the residual or organically bound content. Furthermore, organic manure application also increased the contents of carbohydrates, proteins, and amides, which can anchor AE-F to the dissolved organic matter (DOM) in soil through physicochemical reactions, thereby reducing the migration of F. Moreover, after organic manure application, complex humus compounds were formed through microbial action, thus reducing the bioavailability of soil F. In summary, the application of organic manures can reduce the accumulation of soil AE-F, thereby reducing the absorption of F by crops in F-contaminated soil and alleviating the potential risk of F contamination.

The application of organic mulch and chicken manure for improving soil water availability and yield of turmeric (Curcuma domestica Val) in an Inceptisol of Jambi, Indonesia

Turmeric (Curcuma domestica Val) is one of the agricultural commodities being developed by the Jambi Province of Indonesia. However, despite the high value of turmeric, its productivity in Jambi Province is low. This is because the crop is mostly cultivated in marginal lands dominated by Inceptisol, which has low fertility and low water availability. Organic mulch and chicken manure have the potential to be used to improve soil water availability and crop yield. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of organic mulch cover and chicken manure on soil water availability and turmeric yield. The treatments tested were combinations of various percentages of organic mulch cover (30%, 60%, and 90%, and chicken manure dosage (0, 5, 10, and 15 t ha-1). The twelve treatment combinations were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. The results showed that the combination of the percentage of organic mulch cover and chicken manure dosage affected soil organic matter content, soil bulk density, soil pore size distribution, soil water availability, and turmeric yield. The application of 30% cover of organic mulch and 10 t ha-1 of chicken manure was found to be the best combination to improve soil available water and turmeric yield. The regression analysis results showed that soil bulk density, organic carbon, fast-drainage pores, and slow-drainage pores simultaneously affected the soil water content, with an R2 value of 0.85. The results of this study proved that soil available water is also closely correlated with turmeric yield.

Influence of various organic nutrient management technologies on microbial abundance, growth, and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) under field conditions

A field study (three years) was carried out to evaluate the outcome of various organic nutrient management technologies including farmyard manure (FYM) and poultry manure (PM) integrated with chemical fertilizers for microbial dynamics and growth and yield of rice at Experimental Farm of Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA), Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan. The most broadly grown rice variety, NIA-Shandar was selected for this study. The experiment involved integrating organic technologies, specifically Farm Yard Manure (FYM) and Poultry Manure (PM), each applied at 10 tons per hectare. These organic technologies were combined with varying levels of inorganic fertilizers: half (60 kg N ha-1 and 45 kg P2O5 ha-1) and full (120 kg N ha-1 and 90 kg P2O5 ha-1) recommended doses. Additionally, zinc was applied at 10 kg ha-1. The study employed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications to assess treatment effects. Both organic technologies perform better for microbial dynamics and rice growth and yield enhancement either alone technology or combined with chemical fertilizers during three rice seasons. The maximum general microbial abundance (9.70 log10 CFU g soil-1), N2 fixing (7.37 log10 CFU g soil-1), P solubilizing (7.97 log10 CFU g soil-1) and Zn solubilizing(6.75 log10 CFU g soil-1) population was recorded in FYM alone or with half N and P2O5 fertilizer application. The highest plant height (106 cm), tiller numbers(17.10), panicle numbers (26.53), panicle length (26.32 cm), one thousand grainweight (26.53 g) and rice grain yield (7.92 t ha-1) were perceived in FYM with full rate N and P2O5 fertilizer application. Both technologies along with chemical fertilizer induced soil properties and soil nutrients which reflected to increase soil microbial abundance and growth and yield of rice however, FYM showed higher potential than poultry manure during the three years rice cultivation seasons. Hence, it was indicated that a significant contribution to the development of sustainable agricultural technologies that prioritize soil health,environmental stewardship, and food security.

Organic manures and biostimulants: A synergistic approach to boosting ashwagandha growth and yield

Organic manures and biostimulants: A synergistic approach to boosting ashwagandha growth and yield

Plant Agrobiodiversity, Agricultural and Phytosanitary Practices of Market Garden Crops in the Centre‐East Region of Burkina Faso

ABSTRACTIntroductionIn West Africa, market gardeners use various agricultural practices to increase yields. However, many of these practices do not comply with agroecological standards and cause intoxication, pollution, soil degradation and biodiversity loss. This study characterizes the plant agrobiodiversity of market garden crops grown during the rainy season and the agricultural and phytosanitary practices used for their management.Materials and MethodsThe study was carried out in Burkina Faso. Plant agrobiodiversity was assessed in 100 market gardens. Agricultural and phytosanitary practices were characterized using semi‐structured interviews. A Sankey diagram was used to highlight the relationships among market garden crops, bioaggressors and diseases. Principal component analyses were applied to highlight the agricultural and phytosanitary practices used.ResultsThe results revealed rich agrobiodiversity, including 16 market garden crops, 15 local agroforestry species, 17 planted species and 37 weed species. The main market garden crops grown in the rainy season were cabbage (20.30%), lettuce (16.62%), tomato (11.69%), and amaranth (10.15%). The most frequent agroforestry species were Azadirachta indica (18.20%) and Mangifera indica (15.03%). The most common weeds were Eleusine indica (11.02%) and Cyperus reduncus (9.70%). Eleven pests were identified, and the most frequently recorded were caterpillars (39.06%). Sixteen diseases were reported, the most common being leaf yellowing (15.67%) and leaf wilt (11.67%). Numerous market gardeners use mineral fertilizers such as Yaramila (NPK 23‐10‐5), NPK (14‐23‐14), urea (46.00% nitrogen), and liquid fertilizer as well as compost and organic manure. The most common agricultural practice was crop rotation (79.00%). To protect crops, 89.00% of producers used synthetic chemical pesticides in an uncontrolled manner, most of which are purchased on the local market. Only 11.00% of the market gardeners practiced the natural phytosanitary treatments.ConclusionThis study provides important information that can be used for the sustainable management of market gardens. Agroecological standards should be popularized to ensure food security for market garden crops.

Effect of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer on growth, curd yield and quality of cauliflower

Effect of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer on growth, curd yield and quality of cauliflower

Rancang Bangun Alat Otomatisasi Pengomposan dari Sampah Organik Berbasis Internet of Things

Organic waste management in Indonesia is currently suboptimal. Approximately 33.7% of waste is not properly managed, and 56% of the total waste consists of organic waste, most of which comes from households. Composting is an effective method for managing organic waste. However, many people are still reluctant to convert organic waste into compost due to the lengthy process, which typically takes 2 to 3 months. This study proposes an IoT-based composting automation system with the goal of accelerating the composting process without the use of additional microorganisms, producing both dry and liquid compost. The system method involves integrating Internet of Things (IoT) technology with sensors: DHT22 for temperature monitoring, soil moisture sensors for measuring soil moisture, MQ-4 sensors for detecting methane gas, pH sensors for measuring soil acidity, and water level sensors for detecting the height of liquid compost. Data collected from these sensors is used to automatically control the organic waste mixing process until all composting specifications are met. The results indicate that this system effectively accelerates the composting process to 24 days for dry compost and 19 days for liquid compost without the need for additional microorganisms, while producing compost of high quality according to the SNI-19-7030-2004 specifications.

Assessment of integrated organic and inorganic nutrient management practices for enhancing yield and economics of khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata L. Blanco) compared to farmer’s practice

Assessment of integrated organic and inorganic nutrient management practices for enhancing yield and economics of khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata L. Blanco) compared to farmer’s practice

Comparison of Pb adsorption and transformation behavior induced by chicken manure and its DOM in contaminated soil

Organic fertilizer derived from animal manure can significantly improve soil fertility. However, limited research has investigated the capacity of exogenous organic fertilizer dissolved organic matter (DOM) to migration and transform heavy metals. In this study, the effect of chicken manure organic fertilizers with different maturity and their DOM on changes of Pb bioactivity was evaluated and the role of soil environmental factors driving the changes was determined through soil incubation, adsorption and leaching experiments. The FTIR results indicated that DOM derived from farmhouse chicken manure organic fertilizer (FCMD) contained more protein-like compounds and low maturity, while DOM from commercial chicken manure organic fertilizer (CCMD) contained more humic/fulvic acid and high maturity. FCMD and CCMD reduced the content of RES-Pb by 16.3–27.52 % and 6.66–13.98 %, respectively. And the effects of organic fertilizers and their DOM on Pb migration and activation follow the order of FCMD> CCMD> CK> commercial chicken manure organic fertilizer (CCM)> farmhouse chicken manure organic fertilizer (FCM). FTIR analysis showed that FCMD was primarily composed of aromatic unsaturated functional groups, and its adsorption capacity for Pb2+ was significantly lower than that of FCM. In addition, the application of FCMD significantly altered the physicochemical properties of soil and promoted the migration and leaching of Pb. FCMD not only causes the soil Pb2+ to be released into the effluent but also activates Pb from the stable form into the active form. In summary, animal manure with lower maturity has a risk to activate heavy metals and should be applied with cautions.

Integration of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers on soil properties at different growth stages and yield of paddy in coastal saline soil of Maharashtra

Integration of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers on soil properties at different growth stages and yield of paddy in coastal saline soil of Maharashtra

Effect of phosphate rich organic manure (PROM) on growth characters, yield contributing characters and yield of wheat

Effect of phosphate rich organic manure (PROM) on growth characters, yield contributing characters and yield of wheat

The effect of cow manure amendment and the ratio of gold mine tailings on sweet potato gold phytomining

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining has commonly used the mercury amalgamation method for gold ore extraction. The processing waste or tailings often contain gold and other metals. This study examined the effects of cow manure amendment and the ratio of gold mine tailings on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) gold phytomining. The pot experiment was conducted in the Faculty of Agriculture greenhouse at Padjadjaran University in Indonesia. The sweet potato MZ119 clone (an orange-fleshed sweet potato) was planted on a polybag (40 x 40 cm) consisting of 10 kg of planting media, which was a mixture of gold mine tailing and soil. The design used was a completely randomized design factorial with three replications. The first factor was ratios of gold mine tailing consisting of three levels, namely 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% (w/w). The second factor was doses of organic manure, namely without cow manure, 250 g pot-1, 500 g pot-1, and 750 g pot-1. The results demonstrated that the application of cow dung and the gold mine tailings ratio (w/w) had a significant (p = 0.05) effect on plants' dry weight biomass, gold accumulation, and gold phytomining by sweet potato. The highest gold mass yield of 0.066 mg gold plant-1 was achieved by a 50% (w/w) gold mine tailing ratio and 750 g pot-1 cow manure treatment.

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.

Investigating the Influence of Inorganic and Organic Fertilizers on the Growth and Yield of Three Varieties of Okra (<i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i>)

Fertilizers play an important role in enhancing crop yield, growth, and fertility of the soil. This research was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture teaching and research farm, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria to investigate the influence of inorganic fertilizer (urea) and organic manure (spent mushroom substrate and poultry manure) on the yield and growth parameters of three okra cultivars (Clemson Spineless, Perkin Long Pod and the Local Assertion). The urea was applied at the rate of 4g per 10kg of soil, while spent mushroom substrate and poultry manure were applied at the rates of 200g and 150g per 10kg of soil respectively at 4 weeks after planting. The treatments were laid in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 3 replications. The results revealed that the okra cultivars responded positively to both organic manures when compared with urea and the control group where no fertilizer was applied. Furthermore, varieties grown with poultry manure generally had the highest fresh fruit weight, plant height, fruit length, number of fruits, and fresh fruit yield. Spent mushroom substrate influenced the number of fruits and fruit yield while urea influenced the leaf area, number of leaves, and leaf area index. Poultry manure was recorded as the best organic manure for okra growth and yield and is recommended to be used to grow okra plants. Also, the Perkin Long Pod variety is recommended to be the best for cultivation.

Effect of Different Tillage and Organic Inputs on Soil Properties and Yield of Cotton on Vertisols

The present investigation was carried out at Research Farm, Department of Soil Science, Dr. PDKV, Akola during Kharif 2023-24 to study the effect of different tillage practices and organic inputs on soil properties and yield of cotton on Vertisols. Intensive tillage accelerates the loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and reduces soil quality and yields, particularly in rainfed areas. This is further worsened by imbalanced fertilization and insufficient recycling of organic residues. Conservation tillage, when combined with organic inputs like FYM, vermicompost and phospho-compost, can help to restore soil structure, increase SOC and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The study aimed to assess the effect of different tillage practices and organic inputs on soil properties and on yield of cotton. The factorial randomized block design with two factors and four tillage treatments as factor A and four sources of manure as factor B were adopted. The treatments were composed of factor A consisting of four tillage operations [conventional tillage (T1), reduced tillage (T2), minimum tillage (T3) and zero tillage (T4)] and factor B consisting of organic manures such as farmyard manure (10 t ha-1) (M1), vermicompost (5 t ha-1) (M2), phospho-compost (5 t ha-1) (M3) and no manure (M4) replicated thrice. The results clearly indicated that conventional tillage resulted in the significantly highest seed cotton yield (14.10 ha-1), stalk yield (27.78 ha-1), total uptake of N (46.46 ha-1), P (7.86 ha-1) and K (33.05 ha-1) relative to other tillage practices examined. Among the organic manure treatments the highest seed cotton yield (11.21 ha-1), stalk yield (21.95 ha-1), total N (37.27 ha-1), P (6.57 ha-1) and K (31.25 ha-1) uptake by cotton was observed with phospho-compost application. Based on the observed results, it was notable that the available soil N, P and K were significantly influenced by the distinct tillage practices and organic manures. Among the tillage practices, the highest content of available soil N (182.14 kg ha-1), P (17.14 kg ha-1) and K (312.95 kg ha-1) were exhibited by the reduced tillage. The use of vermicompost resulted in the highest available soil N (185.93 kg ha-1) and K (316.68 kg ha-1), while the highest available soil P (18.22 kg ha-1) was observed with phospho-compost. The results revealed that conventional tillage combined with phospho-compost improves cotton yield and nutrient uptake, while reduced tillage along with the application of vermicompost and phospho-compost improves soil fertility. Therefore, combined use of tillage and organic inputs could be beneficial for enhancing soil properties and higher productivity of cotton in Vertisols as well as the whole of Maharashtra.