Title: Rock Phosphate-enriched Pressmud Compost: Direct Effect in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) and Residual Effect in Mustard (Brassica juncea) in a Typic Haplustept
Abstract: Rock phosphate-enriched pressmud compost (RPEPMC) was prepared by composting fresh pressmud and rock phosphate mixture in the ratio of 20:1 (w:w basis) in cylindrical plastic container with a composite microbial culture at 0.1% (w:w) level. A field experiment was conducted during rainy season (kharif) followed by winter (rabi) season of 2006–07 to evaluate the RPEPMC as partial substitute of fertilizer phosphorus (P) in terms of direct and residual P uptake and P use efficiency (PUE) by crops to study the changes in available P at 60 days after sowing (DAS) as well as after harvest of both the crops and various inorganic P fractions in soil after cropping. Results showed that pearl millet responded up to 26.1 kg ha−1 of P application. Application of diammonium phosphate (DAP) proved superior to RPEPMC with respect to grain and stover yield, P derived from P sources, total P uptake and PUE by pearl millet at 34.8 kg P ha−1 level. Among the various ratios of RPEPMC and DAP (3:1, 1:1 and 1:3) tried at 34.8 kg P ha−1 level, the 1:3 ratio showed best performance followed by 1:1 and 3:1 ratios. Phosphorus applied to pearl millet had considerable residual effect on succeeding mustard, the effect being more pronounced at higher levels of P application. The residual effect of P applied at 34.8 kg P ha−1 through RPEPMC and DAP produced 74.3 and 59.6% relative grain yield and 74.6 and 56.2% relative total P uptake, respectively at maturity against fresh application of 34.8 kg P ha−1 through DAP in mustard. The relative total P uptake by mustard at 34.8 kg P ha−1 through the three ratios was in the order of 3:1>1:1>1:3. Residual effect of RPEPMC and DAP in combination applied at 34.8 kg P ha−1 in a 3:1 ratio showed higher available P at 60 DAS as well as after harvest of mustard. Moreover, the application of RPEPMC in soils of medium available P status (Typic Haplustepts) in pearl millet-mustard sequence replaced about half to two-third of P requirement of crops from fertilizer with no appreciable change in soil P fertility.
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 4
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