Search

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is considered a nitrogen (N) intensive plant with high nitrate (NO3-) accumulation in its leaves. The current study via a two-year field trial introduced an approach by combining N fertilization from different sources (e.g., ammonium nitrate; 33.5% N, and urea; 48% N) at different rates (180, and 360 kg N ha-1) with the foliar spraying of molybdenum (Mo) as sodium molybdate, and/or manganese (Mn) as manganese sulphate at rates of 50 and 100 mgL-1 of each or with a mixture of Mo and Mn at rates of 50 and 50 mg L-1, respectively on growth, chemical constituents, and NO3- accumulation in leaves. Our findings revealed that the highest rate of N fertilization (360 kg N ha-1) significantly increased most of the measured parameters e.g., plant length, fresh and dry weight plant-1, number of leaves plant-1, leaf area plant-1, leaf pigments (chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids), nutrients (N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn), total soluble carbohydrates, protein content, net assimilation rate, and NO3- accumulation, but decreased leaf area ratio and relative growth rate. Moreover, plants received urea-N fertilizer gave the highest values of all previous attributes when compared with ammonium nitrate –N fertilizers, and the lowest values of NO3- accumulation. The co-fertilization of N-Mo-Mn gave the highest values in all studied attributes and the lowest NO3- accumulation. The best treatment was recorded under the treatment of 360 kg N-urea ha-1 in parallel with the combined foliar application of Mo and Mn (50+50mg L-1). Our findings proposed that the co-fertilization of N-Mo-Mn could enhance spinach yield and its quality, while reducing NO3- accumulation in leaves, resulting agronomical, environmental and economic benefits.

Scenedesmus obliquus ABC-009 is a microalgal strain that accumulates large amounts of lutein, particularly when subjected to growth-limiting conditions. Here, the performance of this strain was evaluated for the simultaneous production of lutein and biofuels under three different modes of cultivation - photoautotrophic mode using BG-11 with air or 2% CO2 and heterotrophic mode using YM medium. While it was found that the highest fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) level and lutein content per biomass (%) were achieved in BG-11 medium with CO2 and air, respectively, heterotrophic cultivation resulted in much higher biomass productivity. While the cell concentrations of the cultures grown under BG-11 and CO2 were largely similar to those grown in YM medium, the disparity in the biomass yield was largely attributed to the larger cell volume in heterotrophically cultivated cells. Post-cultivation light treatment was found to further enhance the biomass productivity in all three cases and lutein content in heterotrophic conditions. Consequently, the maximum biomass (757.14 ± 20.20 mg/L/d), FAME (92.78 ± 0.08 mg/L/d), and lutein (1.006 ± 0.23 mg/L/d) productivities were obtained under heterotrophic cultivation. Next, large-scale lutein production using microalgae was demonstrated using a 1-ton open raceway pond cultivation system and a low-cost fertilizer (Eco-Sol). The overall biomass yields were similar in both media, while slightly higher lutein content was obtained using the fertilizer owing to the higher nitrogen content of the medium.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a major vegetable crop world-wide and grown in high tunnels in many regions. This study investigates the use of two fertilizer sources, chemical and integrated (composted poultry manure plus urea) fertilizers, and grafting on growth, nitrate-N content, yield, and fruit quality of tomato grown in high tunnels in northwestern Washington. Grafting treatments consisted of ‘Panzer’ tomato grafted on one of three tomato rootstocks ‘Estamino’, Maxifort’, ‘DRO138TX’, or non-grafted (control). Application of chemical fertilizer increased number of leaves per plant, plant height, and cumulative fresh biomass of pruned suckers relative to tomato plants grown with the integrated fertilizer treatment. Grafted tomato plants had greater plant growth than non-grafted plants throughout the growing season. There was no significant difference between fertilizer treatments on nitrate-N concentration in plant tissue or fresh petiole sap; however, grafted plants contained higher levels of nitrate-N than non-grafted plants. Total and marketable fruit weight and number did not differ due to fertilizer source, but total and marketable fruit weight was higher for grafted plants than for non-grafted plants in 2016. There was no significant effect due to fertilizer source on fruit firmness, water content, pH, titratable acidity, and β-carotene; however, total soluble solids (TSS) and lycopene content were higher for fruit grown with integrated fertilizer in 2016. Grafting enhanced water content of tomato fruit in 2015, and TSS (°Brix) in 2016.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that is required for optimum plant growth. It is present in soil in insoluble forms. Bacterial solubilization of soil unavailable form of Zn into available form, is an emerging approach to alleviate the Zn deficiency for plants and human beings. Zinc solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) could be a substitute for chemical Zn fertilizer. The present study aimed to isolate and characterize bacterial species from the contaminated soil and evaluate their Zn solubilizing potential. Zn resistant bacteria were isolated and evaluated for their MIC against Zn. Among the 13 isolated bacterial strains ZSB13 showed maximum MIC value upto 30mM/L. The bacterial strain with the highest resistance against Zn was selected for further analysis. Molecular characterization of ZSB13 was performed by 16S rRNA gene amplification which confirmed it as Pseudomonas oleovorans. Zn solubilization was determined through plate assay and broth medium. Four insoluble salts (zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc carbonate (ZnCO3), zinc sulphite (ZnS) and zinc phosphate (Zn3(PO4)2) were used for solubilization assay. Our results shows 11 mm clear halo zone on agar plates amended with ZnO. Likewise, ZSB13 showed significant release of Zn in broth amended with ZnCO3 (17 and 16.8 ppm) and ZnO (18.2 ppm). Furthermore, Zn resistance genes czcD was also enriched in ZSB13. In our study, bacterial strain comprising Zn solubilization potential has been isolated that could be further used for the growth enhancement of crops.

Ketak ( Lygodium circinnatum (Burm.F) Sw.) is one of the main species of non-timber forest products (NTFP s ) in West Nusa Tenggara. Ketak produce tendrils that was used as a raw material for the woven handicraft industry. The sustainability of the handicraft business has constraints in decreasing the supply of raw materials because the potential is very reduced in nature so that it is necessary to make efforts to cultivate L. circinnatum plants. The aim of the study was to determine the success of planting L. circinnatum with fertilization and different types of vines . The research used a randomized block design which was arranged factorially with a combination of different types of fertilizers (goat manure, cow manure, NPK fertilizer ) and vine tree s ( Gliricidia sepium , Erythrina variegata , bamboo). For six months, the application of fertilizers and different types of climbing stems significantly affected the increase in tendril length and number of leaves and there was an interaction between the two treatments tested; while the increase in the number of tendrils and life percentage occurred the effect of a single treatment. Goat fertilizer and climbing species G. sepium were the best treatments for the increase in tendril length (73.4 cm) and number of leaves (88 sheet). The best NPK fertilizer treatment for the growth of the number of tendrils (3 tendrils), climbing species G. sepium and goat manure produced the highest percentage of life (80.42% and 85.56%)

Screw tree is a shrub from family Malvaceae that has many benefits in pharmacy. Screw tree seed has very hard seed coat, so the seed must be treated before germination. The aim of this research was to assess the characteristic of fruit and seeds, effect of seed breaking dormancy, and effect of NPK fertilizer dosage on the growth of screw tree (Helicteres isora) seedlings. The results indicated that screw tree fruits belong to dry fruits with capsule form and has 5 follicles that has different direction. Screw tree seed is orthodox type that has 9 ̶ 36 seeds in one follicle with triangle and square shape. Germination technique in laboratory with soaking the seeds in hot water 100oC until the water cool for 48 hours treatment produced the best germination amounting to 65.0%. Germination technique in green house with soaking the seeds in hot water 100oC until the water cool for 24 hours treatment was the best germination amounting to 77.0%. Seedlings fertilized with 1 g NPK doses increased screw tree growth in diameter parameter of 6.35 mm and shoot-root ratio parameter of 3.9 compared to control.

BACKGROUND Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is highly sensitive to nitrogen (N) and boron (B) deficiency; however, the synergistic effects of these elements on rapeseed production are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of co-application of N and B on seed yield, N uptake and N use efficiency (NUE) of rapeseed. Three rapeseed cultivars (W10, ZS11 and HG) were treated with different N and B application rates, and the seed yield, N uptake and NUE were examined in two-year field experiments. RESULTS The application of B fertilizer (4.5, 9 kg borax ha-1 ) improved N uptake, NUE and seed yield. However, the magnitude of increase in seed yield by B fertilization was dependent upon the rate of N supply and genotype. The benefit of B was much greater at 180 kg N ha-1 than at 0, 60 kg N ha-1 . The combination of N and B also improved N remobilization from sources (stems and husks) to sinks (seeds) and increased N recovery efficiency (NRE). Compared with the B-inefficient cultivar W10, the B-efficient cultivars ZS11 and HG were superior in growth, seed yield, N uptake and NUE on B deficient soils. Furthermore, B-efficient cultivars showed great potential in saving N input, and the yield increased by more than 40% under B deficiency conditions. CONCLUSION This study highlights a markedly synergistic effect of N and B nutrition on rapeseed NUE and yield production and shows that B-efficient genotypes can increase yield and reduce N inputs under B-deficient conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A controlled fermentation was conducted to develop and design a bioorganic fertilizer based on three wastes generated by the food industry: olive mill wastewater (OMW), molasses and rice hulls by inoculation with selected strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), of the species “Lactiplantibacillus plantarum” and “Levilactobacillus brevis” and of the yeast of the species “candida famata”. The fermentation with commercial yeasts and particularly the species of “saccharomyces” produced an unstable fertilizer with a high pH value (6.14).Whereas, the fermentation test with an inoculum composed of 20% yeast and 80% lactic acid bacteria showed a decrease in pH at 4.66 and a maximum enzymatic activity of 43.900 IU/l after 30 h. This combination allowed an appropriate morphological and microbiological quality of the bioorganic fertilizer. To determine with precision, the optimum conditions of this fermentation an optimization design was applied. As a result of experiments and statistical validation of the fitted model, the bioorganic fertilizer with the lowest pH value was achieved after fermentation of 53.2% OMW, 19.1% molasses, 21.3% rice hulls and 6.4% inoculum content. The final pH was able to reach a value of 4.07 with desirability of the order of 99.7%. A fertilizer with the lowest possible pH allowed farmers longer storage periods and required no special storage conditions.

Under small and marginal farm conditions, allocation of land exclusively for forages is not possible. Hence, integration of forages in existing crop geometry can ensure production of grain and fodder, simultaneously under rainfed conditions. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different nutrient management practices on rice and fodder intercropping systems under rainfed conditions during 2015–2017. The intercropping system comprised (i) sole rice (R), (ii) rice and cowpea (5:2) (CP) and (iii) rice and ricebean (5:2) (RB) whereas the different nutrient management practices comprised (i) application of farm yard manure (FYM) at 5 t ha–1 (farmers’ practice) (N1), (ii) application of inorganic fertilizer (recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) of rice, 60:30:30 kg ha–1 of N:P2O5:K2O) (N2) and (iii) application of both FYM at 5 t ha–1 and 50% of RDF inorganic fertilizer (N3). The results of the experiment revealed that the growth attribute such as leaf area was influenced significantly when fodder crops were taken as intercrops because rice plant was getting more nitrogen from soil due to nitrogen fixation of leguminous fodder crops. Among the nutrient management practices, significant differences in leaf area were found beween N2 and N1, and between N3 and N1 treatments. However, regarding total number of effective tillers, significant differences were found neither between nutrient management practices nor between cropping systems. The rice equivalent yield (REY) based on price (REYP) was found to be significantly lower in CP (2 615 kg ha–1; –6.4%) and RB intercropping systems (2 571 kg ha–1; –8.0%) than in R monocropping system (2 794 kg ha–1). However, the REY based on energy (REYE) of CP (2 999 kg ha–1; +7.3%) and RB (2 960 kg ha–1; +5.9%) were found to be significantly higher than that of R (2 794 kg ha–1) irrespective of nutrient management practices. Between different nutrient management practices, the N3 treatment recorded the highest REYP and REYE which was at par with the N2 treatment and significantly higher than the N1 treatment irrespective of cropping systems. The combined application of both organic and inorganic sources of nutrients helped to supply nutrients throughout the growing season, which led to improved growth parameters and rice yield. The R monocropping system resulted in more income and rain water use efficiency (RWUE) closely followed by rice and fodder intercropping systems. However, the REYE and energy use efficiency (EUE) of rice and fodder intercropping systems were higher than those of R. Also, fodder helped to meet the requirement of cattle feeding in the off-season. Hence, the intercropping system is advocated in the study zone. Further study can be done on ecosystem services and carbon sequestration potential of the intercropping system, as well as the system’s coping ability in response to short drought through observing periodic soil moisture regime in root zone.

Crested wheatgrass (CWG) [Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.] is a commonly introduced grass in the Canadian prairies, but concerns remain about its possible long-term effects on soil quality, and its influence on soil water repellency (SWR) has not been determined. The long-term (24 yr) effects of CWG on SWR in comparison to seeded native grasses and annual cropping were determined for a clay loam soil in southern Alberta, Canada by measuring SOC concentration and SWR using soil hydrophobicity (SH) and soil water repellency index (RI) methods. The cropping treatments were CWG, seeded native grass mix (NGM), continuous wheat, and wheat–fallow rotation, each with fertilized (nitrogen) and non-fertilized subplots, replicated four times. Mean SOC concentration, SH, and RI in samples of surface soil were similar (P > 0.05) for CWG and seeded NGM, and they did not support our hypothesis (seeded NGM > CWG). Mean SOC was significantly greater for seeded perennial grasses than annual crops by 1.7–2 times and SH by 2.1–2.5 times, which supported our hypothesis, but RI was similar among treatments. As expected, nitrogen fertilization significantly increased SOC concentrations, but the effects on SH and RI were undetectable. A strong positive correlation occurred between SOC concentration and SH (r = 0.92) but not for RI (r = 0.10). Our findings suggested that SWR was similar for CWG and seeded NGM. The SWR as measured using SH was greater for seeded perennial grasses than annual cropping but was similar using RI.

Intercropping of maize (Zea mays L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) often results in greater yields than the respective sole crops. However, there is limited knowledge of aboveground and belowground interspecific interactions between maize and peanut in field. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of interspecific interactions on plant growth and grain yield for a peanut/maize intercropping system under different nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels. The method of root separation was employed to differentiate belowground from aboveground interspecific interactions. We observed that the global interspecific interaction effect on the shoot biomass of the intercropping system decreased with the coexistence period, and belowground interaction contributed more than aboveground interaction to advantages of the intercropping in terms of shoot biomass and grain yield. There was a positive effect from aboveground and belowground interspecific interactions on crop plant growth in the intercropping system, except that aboveground interaction had a negative effect on peanut during the late coexistence period. The advantage of intercropping on grain came mainly from increased maize yield (means 95%) due to aboveground interspecific competition for light and belowground interaction (61%72% vs. 28%-39% in fertilizer treatments). There was a negative effect on grain yield from aboveground interaction for peanut, but belowground interspecific interaction positively affected peanut grain yield. The supply of N, P, or N + P increased grain yield of intercropped maize and the contribution from aboveground interspecific interaction. Our study suggests that the advantages of peanut/maize intercropping for yield mainly comes from aboveground interspecific competition for maize and belowground interspecific facilitation for peanut, and their respective yield can be enhanced by N and P. These findings are important for managing the intercropping system and optimizing the benefits from using this system. (C) 2021 Crop Science Society of China and Institute of Crop Science, CAAS. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.

The burning of agricultural waste is a major cause of environmental pollution. In this study, we sought to prepare biochar from agricultural waste as a source material for the preparation of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs). Surface morphology, hydrodynamic particle size, and purity and crystallinity of CNPs were extensively investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta sizing, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, respectively. The CNPs were subsequently immersed in a solution of potassium nitrate (KNO3) to prepare a CNPs/NK nanocomposite (CNPs loaded with nitrogen (N) and potassium (K)) as a nanocomposite fertilizer for common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The CNPs/NK nanocomposite was sprayed as a foliar fertilizer at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg L–1 on common bean plants 25 d after sowing on a farm in Shebin El-Kom, El-Monifia, Egypt. The growth, yield, and quality of common bean were investigated during two successive growing seasons (2017 and 2018). The highest seed yields of 2.04 and 2.01 t ha–1 and the highest values of growth parameters including plant height of 61.5 and 59.2 cm, number of leaves per plant of 35 and 35, number of flowers per plant of 83.3 and 82.7, and plant fresh weight of 148.7 and 152.8 g plant–1 were obtained when using the CNPs/NK nanocomposite at a concentration of 20 mg L–1 during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons, respectively.

Tomato is a plant belonging to the family Solanaceae , short trunk, and grows well in tropical climates. Tomatoes have vegetative and generative growth phases. The availability of nutrients largely determines the vegetative growth phase. Research on the effect of vermicompost and NPK fertilizer has been carried out from April to July 2021. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of NPK fertilizer and vermicompost: (1) The effect of vermicompost treatment on tomato growth. (2) The effect of NPK fertilizer treatment on tomato growth. (3) The interaction effect between vermicompost and NPK fertilizer on tomato growth. The research was conducted using experimental methods. The research design was a 4 x 5 factorial completely randomized design with three replications. The treatment of NPK fertilizer consisted of four types of treatment doses, while the vermicompost consisted of five types of treatment doses. The results showed that the application of NPK fertilizer had a significant impact on differences in stem diameter, the number of compound leaves, leaf length, and height of tomato plants. The NPK fertilizer treatment of 0.8 grams per plant gave better results in stem diameter, number of compound leaves, leaf length, and height of tomato plants compared to other treatments. The treatment of vermicompost with different doses significantly affected stem diameter, the number of compound leaves, leaf length, and the height of tomato plants. Treatment of 1.8 kg of vermicompost resulted in the best stem diameter, the number of compound leaves, leaf length, and height of tomato plants. The interaction of vermicompost and NPK fertilizer had no significant effect on stem diameter, the number of compound leaves, leaf length, and tomato plant height.

The objective of this research was to examine how the same amount of N provided by pure or mixture composition of legume and grass affects the growth and yield of the first following crop (broccoli) and two more subsequent crops (broccoli and brachiaria grass). The first broccoli crop was fertilized with jack bean (JB) and pearl millet (PM) in the following proportions (%): control, 100JB, 75JB25PM, 50JB50PM, 25JB75M, and 100PM. The treatment residual effect was measured on a second broccoli crop and brachiaria grass, with no addition of fertilizer. Biochemical metabolism, canopy area, dry matter production, fresh matter yield, and nitrogen (N) accumulation were evaluated. In broccoli crops (first and residual), higher canopy area, fresh matter yield, dry matter, N accumulation, protein, and amino acid concentrations were detected with 100JB and 75JP25PM compared to the control. In the third crop (brachiaria grass), a greater residual effect on the dry matter and N accumulation were obtained with 25JB75PM and 100PM compared to the control. Protein, amino acids, growth, yield, dry matter production, and N accumulation reached the highest values in two successive broccoli crops when fertilized with mixtures with a higher proportion of JB. A higher residual effect is obtained in brachiaria grass fertilized with higher proportion of pearl millet.

Foliar application of fertilizers can guarantee nutrient availability to beans, leading to higher yield and seed quality. Different approaches including glycine have been used to improve mineral nutrient status of plants toward safer products and improved human health. However, limited research has been undertaken to understand the response of beans to amino Zn and Mg foliar fertilizer application in Ghana. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of zinc, magnesium, and combined zinc and magnesium foliar fertilizer application on two improved common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties locally referred to as Adoye and Nsroma in the forest (Fumesua) and forest-savannah transition (Akumadan) agro-ecological zones of Ghana during the 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons. The treatments were arranged in split-plot design with the two improved common bean varieties as the main plot, and foliar fertilizer options (zinc, 200 g/ha; magnesium, 224 g/ha; combined zinc and magnesium, 100 g/ha Zn and 112 g/ha Mg) and water spray (control) as the subplot treatments. The zinc and combined zinc and magnesium treatments had similar and significantly ( P ≤ 0.05 ) higher plant height of 37.1 cm and 38.7 cm compared to the control and magnesium treatments. The results also showed that chlorophyll content was approximately 15.6% higher in plants treated with zinc plus magnesium compared to the other treatments. Similarly, stomatal conductance was significantly ( P ≤ 0.05 ) increased by 35.6% with zinc plus magnesium treatment relative to the other treatments. The improved chlorophyll content and stomatal conductance in those treatments resulted in ∼55.3–80.6% increase in crop biomass and seed yield. Crop performance parameters such as plant height, canopy spread, and chlorophyll content were significantly higher ( P ≤ 0.05 ) at Akumadan, resulting in a greater seed yield of 1486.2 kg/ha compared to 1365.3 kg/ha at Fumesua. Combined application of zinc and magnesium appears to be a potential soil improvement strategy for common bean production in tropical soil environment of Ghana.

Aiming to evaluate the efficacy of constructed floating wetlands (CFW) in removing agrochemicals (nutrients and pesticides), a series of experiments were run continuously for a 16-week period in pilot-scale CFW systems to study the effect of two aquatic plant species (duckweed and water hyacinth) and climatic parameters. The CFW systems were loaded daily with agricultural polluted water containing a fertilizer and five pesticides, whose concentrations and removal efficiencies were measured in the experiments. Average nutrient and pesticide reductions varied from 27.4% to 83.6% and from 12.4% to 42.7%, respectively. The two plants performed almost equally well. High temperatures and increased solar radiation significantly contributed to increased removal performance. The results suggest the use of CFW systems as effective and low-cost agricultural pollution control technologies.

espanolLa reproduccion por semilla promueve la diversidad genetica en el maguey (Agave salmiana), si la fertilizacion es la adecuada, podria incrementarse el crecimiento. En el maguey pulquero es una practica poco comun que es necesario estudiar, por lo cual los objetivos de esta investigacion fueron: 1) evaluar el efecto del abono y la fertilizacion en el crecimiento; 2) determinar la tasa de intercambio de CO2 (TIC) en dos condiciones de humedad del suelo, de tres variantes de A. salmiana (subsp. crassispina, var.salmiana y var. ferox)obtenidas de semilla yplantadas en San Bar-tolome Actopan, municipio de Temascalapa, Estado de Mexico. La hipotesis fue que las plantas tratadas con fertilizacion quimica tendran mayor crecimiento que las abonadas y el testigo; y las plantas fertilizadas y abonadas tendran mayor TIC en las dos condiciones de humedad del suelo. El diseno experimental fue completamente al azar con n=11 para variables de crecimiento, n=3 para contenido nutrimental y tasa de intercambio de CO2. El crecimiento se midio cada mes en plantas de 2.9 a 3.6 anos; la tasa de intercambio de CO2 se midio en plantas de 3.6 anos con riego y 3.75 anos con estres hidrico. El abono con cerdaza favo-recio la altura, el diametro de la planta y el numero de pencas. La subespecie crassispina mostro los valores mas altos en las variables evaluadas y A. salmiana var. salmiana cultivada con fertilizacion destaco por los hijuelos emitidos. La tasa maxima de intercambio de CO2 ocurrio entre las 22:00 y 02:00 h y fue mayor en plantas con humedad abundante en el suelo (riego) que en las plantas con humedad por debajo de marchitez permanente (PMP); en esta ultima condicion, las plantas abonadas y fertilizadas tuvieron 60% mas de asimilacion que en el testigo EnglishReproduction by seed promotes genetic diversity in maguey (Agave salmiana), and if fertilization is adequate, it can increase growth. In pulque maguey, although reproduction by seed is not a common practice, its study is necessary. For this reason, the objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the effect of organic and chemical fertilization on growth and 2) to determine the CO2 exchange rate (CER) in two conditions of soil moisture in three variants of A. salmiana (subsp. crassispina, var. salmiana andvar. ferox) obtained from seed in San Bartolome Actopan, municipality of Temascalapa, State of Mexico. The hypothesis was that plants treated with chemical fertilizer will have greater growth than those treated with organic fertilizer and the control, and plants fertilized with organic and chemical fertilizer will have a higher CER in two conditions of soil moisture. The experimental design was completely randomized with n=11 for growth variables, n=3 for nutrient content and CO2 exchange rate. Growth was measured every month in 2.9- to 3.6-year-old plants, and CO2 exchange rate was measured in 3.6-year-old plants with irrigation and in 3.75-year-old plants under water stress. Organic fertilizer from pig manure favored plant height and diameter and number of leaves. The subespecies crassispina had the highest values of the evaluated variables, and A. salmiana var. salmiana cultivated with chemical fertilization was outstanding for the number of shoots emitted. The highest CO2 exchange rate occurred between 22:00 and 02:00 h and was higher in plants with abundant soil moisture (irrigated) than in plants with moisture below permanent wilting point. In the latter condition, the plants grown with organic and chemical fertilizer assimilated 60% more CO2 than the control.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a plant of great importance for food, agriculture, economy and medicine. This importance explains its high demand, intensified by its cultivation conditions, particularly the growing rarity of fertile land and available water. To contribute to this species yield optimization, the effects of fertilizers type [chemical: NPK (12-22-22) and organic: Agribionate] and a control (C) combined to two watering modes (traditional sprinkler and bottle drip) on plants growth and yield have been studied from sowing to harvest. Plant growth (stem length and diameter at the collar, number of leaves and flowers per plant, leaf area) and yield (fruit weight, diameter and length, yield) were assessed. ANOVA2 tests revealed that fertilization (NPK and agribionate) favored plant growth (respectively 34.20 and 37.32 cm in height against 6.67 cm) and increased yield (7498, 66 and 6600.46 Kg/ha against 1558 Kg/ha) with the largest and heaviest fruits (145.69 and 142.80 g) compared to the control (C) that produced the smallest ones (59.35 g). About watering, the bottle drip mode was more beneficial than traditional sprinkler one for cucumber organ growth and plant yield. The interaction (fertilizer type × watering mode) indicated that the best results were obtained with the Agribionate fertilizer watered with the bottle drip method.

The effects of soil invertebrates (earthworms) and AM fungus fertilizers were observed alone and together on the growth of Punica granatum and on the reproduction of herbivores (Aphis punicae). Pomegranate plants were grown individually in pots containing sandy, silty, and clay soil. Plants were grown in soil containing: a) no added fauna, b) earthworms, c) AM fungus fertilizers, and d) AM fungus fertilizers and earthworms. As a result of the study, the highest number of shoots were observed in worm + fertilizer applied treatments and the lowest in the only worm used treatments. There was a significant difference between control (Pk) and worm + fertilizer (Psg) groups in shoot number (P

A filed experiment was conducted to consider the impacts of bio-fertilizers (Azotobacter chroococcum and Glomus mosseae) and two levels of chemical fertilization ( 50% and 100% of recommended dose) on proline content and activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase) in wheat Triticum aestivum L. cultivar IPA 99 under drought conditions (50% and 20% of soil field capacity). Bio-fertilization involved treatment with A. chroococcum (Azoto) and G. mosseae (AMF), singly or in combination. The experiment was conducted by applying a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results of this study showed that the treatment utilizing Azoto+AMF fertilizer with concentrated chemical fertilizer (100%) significantly decreased proline content and the activities of antioxidant enzymes under drought conditions. In addition, the percentage of mycorrihzal root infection was increased. The lowest values of proline content and catalase and peroxidase activities (3.35 µmole/g, 84.52 unit/ml, 90.90 unit/ml, respectively) were achieved by the application of combined bio-fertilizers with 100% of chemical fertilizer and 50% water deficit. The combined bio-fertilizer application with 50% of chemical fertilizer and 20% water deficit achieved the maximum mycorrihzal infection percentage (90%).

Finding strategies to reuse and treat organic wastes is of utmost need. Biological processes offer the possibility to transform them into safer end products with benefits for both agriculture and the environment. Moreover, it represents an ecologically-sound and economically attractive alternative to landfill disposal and incineration. In this work, we evaluated the feasibility of vermicomposting to treat and process grape marc, the main solid by-product of the wine industry. The long-term changes in grape marc derived from both white and red winemaking processes were assessed throughout the process of vermicomposting from a physico-chemical and microbiological perspective. New layers of fresh marc were added sequentially in the presence and absence of earthworms (Eisenia andrei) forming an age gradient during a 42-week period. An optimal moisture level of 70% was maintained over the course of the process. The pH fell within weak-alkaline levels through the layerś profile and the electrical conductivity was between 200 and 300 µS cm−1, providing optimum conditions for earthworm growth. The mass loss caused by earthworm activity led to an increased content of macro- and micronutrients at the end of the trial. An overall decrease in microbial biomass and its activity, indicative of a stabilised material, was also recorded with depth of layer. Altogether, this points to vermicomposting as a suitable management system for processing grape marc with a dual purpose, that is fertilizer production and environment protection. This is especially relevant in the current attempts to reach a fully circular economy.

Pre-emergence (PRE) herbicides are commonly applied simultaneously with fertilizers to turfgrass; however, the influence of PRE herbicides on nitrogen (N) uptake and leaching from turfgrass remains unclear. The hypothesis of this study was that PRE herbicides applied simultaneously with N fertilizers increase N leaching from Tifway 419 bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy, 'Tifway'] above that from fallow soil. A nutrient leaching study was conducted from June 2017 through June 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Treatments consisted of indaziflam (25 g a.i. ha-1 ), prodiamine (540 g a.i. ha-1 ), and oxadiazon (4,480 g a.i. ha-1 ); a nontreated turfgrass control (turfgrass fertilized but not treated with PRE herbicides); and a fallow soil. Fertilizer (15-2-12) was applied every 60 d at 49 kg N ha-1 , and PRE herbicides were applied every 120 d. Pre-emergence herbicides resulted in a 3.6- and 5.5-fold increases in NO3 -N concentration compared with fallow soil during June 2017 and January 2018, respectively, whereas fallow soil resulted in increased NO3 -N concentration during 10 mo and ranged from 3.8- to 15-fold greater than that from turfgrass plots. Turfgrass plots resulted in reduced N leaching of ∼7% during 5 mo compared with fallow soil and did not result in increased N leaching during any month. Cumulative N leached from turfgrass plots ranged from 75 to 120 kg ha-1 and did not differ from fallow soil. Turfgrass growth rate and N uptake were not influenced by PRE herbicide. The results indicated that fertilizers applied with PRE herbicides does not result in increased N leaching or reduced N uptake.

Background Leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina L., is a key pest of walnut trees in arid and dry areas. It severely damages walnut tree gardens with limitations on irrigation water in the growing season. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of trunk injections of three systemic insecticides: imidacloprid, oxydemeton-methyl, thiamethoxam and a complete fertilizer, Nutreeno® against the leopard moth. Trunk injection was done by drilling. The walnut annual shoots of 60 cm in length were sampled from four directions of the treated and control trees in 4 months after treatments. Results The results showed that all treatments including the insecticides and the complete fertilizer at higher concentrations had acceptable efficacy on the leopard moth, and thiamethoxam was the best treatment. Conclusions Trunk injections by neonicotinoid insecticides and Nutreeno can be a safer control method against leopard moth larvae in old walnut trees around residential areas.

Yield performance in cereal and legume intercropping is related to nutrient management, however, the yield response of companion crops to nitrogen (N) input is inconclusive and only limited efforts have focused on rationed phosphorous (P) fertilization. In this study, two multi-year field experiments were implemented from 2014–2019 under identical conditions. Two factors in a randomized complete block design were adopted in both experiments. In field experiment 1, the two factors included three planting patterns (mono-cropped wheat (MW), mono-cropped faba bean (MF), and wheat and faba bean intercropping (W//F)) and four N application rates (N0, 0 kg N ha–1; N1, 90 and 45 kg N ha–1 for wheat and faba beans, respectively; N2, 180 and 90 kg N ha–1 for wheat and faba beans, respectively; and N3, 270 and 135 kg N ha–1 for wheat and faba beans, respectively). In field experiment 2, the two factors included three P application rates (P0, 0 kg P2O5 ha–1; P1, 45 kg P2O5 ha–1; and P2, 90 kg P2O5 ha–1) and the same three planting patterns (MW, MF, and W//F). The yield performances of inter- and mono-cropped wheat and faba beans under different N and P application rates were analyzed and the optimal N and P rates for intercropped wheat (IW) and MW were estimated. The results revealed that intercropping favored wheat yield and was adverse to faba bean yield. Wheat yield increased by 18–26%, but faba bean yield decreased by 5–21% in W//F compared to MW and MF, respectively. The stimulated IW yield drove the yield advantage in W//F with an average land equivalent ratio (LER) of 1.12. N and P fertilization benefited IW yield, but reduced intercropped faba bean (IF) yield. Nevertheless, the partial LER of wheat (pLERwheat) decreased with increasing N application rates, and the partial LER of faba bean (pLERfaba bean) decreased with increasing P application rates. Thus, LER decreased as N input increased and tended to decline as P rates increased. IW maintained a similar yield as MW, even under reduced 40–50% N fertilizer and 30–40% P fertilizer conditions. The estimated optimum N application rates for IW and MW were 150 and 168 kg ha–1, respectively, and 63 and 62 kg ha–1 for P2O5, respectively. In conclusion, W//F exhibited yield advantages due to stimulated IW yield, but the intercropping yield benefit decreased as N and P inputs increased. Thus, it was concluded that modulated N and P rates could maximize the economic and ecological functions of intercropping. Based on the results, rates of 150 kg Nha–1 and 60 kg P2O5 ha–1 are recommended for IW production in southwestern China and places with similar conditions.

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of four levels of irrigation water and three kinds of fertilizer on components of field-grown eggplant (Solanum melongena) in the years 2017 and 2018. Treatments included four irrigation regimes, which were 100% (I100, control), 80% (I80), 60% (I60), and 40% (I40) of evaporation from Class A pan and three different fertilizers, which were chemical fertilizer (CHF) with 40 kg da-1, organic fertilizer (OF) and developed organic fertilizer (DOF) with 2000 kg da-1. The experiment was designed with a split-plot randomized block with 3 replications. In experimental years, all irrigation treatments were irrigated 12 and 13 times, respectively with a drip irrigation system. Irrigation water amounts applied at I40, I60, I80, I100 in 2017 as 122, 183, 244, 305 mm and in 2018 were 147, 218, 289, 360 mm respectively. Seasonal plant water consumption values are in 2017, 2018 years respectively as follow: I40; 265 mm, 277 mm I60; 326 mm, 342 mm, I80; 386 mm; 382 mm, I100; 447 mm, 423 mm. In both experiment years, the effect of irrigation levels on plant components was statistically significant, the highest value of each component in both seasons was at I100 treatment, it was determined respectively as follow: Plant height PH (67.3 to 89.8 cm), branches number per plant BN (5.1 and 7.0), fruit number per plant FN (5.3 and 7.0), fruit weight FW (190.33 and 198.22 g).

The studies were undertaken at ICAR-AICRP on Pearl Millet, Research Farm, ARS, Mandor, Jodhpur (Agriculture University, Jodhpur), Rajasthan, India during July to October of both the 2019 and 2020. The experiment was consisted of three fertilizers (Control, Nutrient supply through straight fertilizers and Nutrient supply through customized fertilizer) and seven pearl millet hybrids (‘MPMH 21’, ‘MPMH 17’, ‘RHB 177’, ‘RHB 173’, ‘HHB 67 (Improved)’, ‘HHB 197’ and ‘HHB 272’) in FRBD and replicated thrice. Findings revealed, application of customized fertilizer of the grade 6:6:2:1 (N:P2O5:K2O:Zn) to pearl millet substantially enhanced Zn concentration in the roots, shoots, and leaves at panicle initiation (47.30, 54.31, 52.33 mg kg-1), 50% flowering (40.30, 50.96, 50.10 mg kg-1) and at harvest (45.27, 46.54, 47.29 mg kg-1), respectively, over control. Similarly, Fe concentration in the roots, shoots and leaves were also increased markedly due to the application of customized fertilizer. Substantially higher Zn (56.42 mg kg-1), Fe (39.50 mg kg-1), Mn (15.13 mg kg-1) and Cu (18.31 mg kg-1) concentrations in the pearl millet grain was also fetched by applying customized fertilizer. Moreover, customized fertilizer application statistically enhanced grain (2,010 kg) and straw (3,417 kg) yields over control. Among pearl millet hybrids, ‘HHB 67 Improved’ recorded substantially higher Zn (61.97 mg kg-1), Fe (43.98 mg kg-1) and Mn (15.46 mg kg-1) concentration in grain and Cu (25.09 mg kg-1) concentration in straw. Albeit, ‘HHB 173’ noticed significantly higher Cu (19.60 mg kg-1) concentration in grain. Further, among hybrids, ‘MPMH 17’ out yielded (1,958 kg ha-1) followed by ‘RHB 173’ (1,795 kg ha-1).

Field studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of various fertilizer placements on nutrient uptake, growth responses, storage root yield and leaf elemental concentration of Whatley/Loretan sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.]. The fertilizer placement treatments comprised broadcast (Br), banded at two different widths (Ba), side dressing (Sd) or applied in various combinations of the above, and an untreated check. Fertilizer rates were 135, 35 and 133 kg.ha-1 each of N, P and K based on soil test. At nine weeks after planting, the fifth fully expanded leaf from the tip of five plants was collected and analyzed for elemental concentration. The plants were harvested 101 days after transplanting and biomass data were collected. Vine yield for all placement treatments was equal to or exceeded that of the full rate broadcast. Yield of US # 1 roots was increased 78 and 72%, respectively, when 2/3 of the fertilizer was banded and tended to increase total storage root yield compared to the same, full or 2/3 the rate broadcast. Leaf N was highest with 1/3 Ba at planting with two side dressings, while leaf P was reduced by all treatments compared to the check. Leaf K was highest with 2/3 the rate Br at planting. Storage root N was lower than foliar N while root K increased with 1/3 Br combined with 1/3 Ba. Root Ca, Mg, Fe and B were not significantly affected by placement. Root Mn was lower than foliar Mn suggesting that sweetpotato distributes more Mn to foliage relative to storage roots. Generally, these results suggest that placement rather than quantity of fertilizer applied enhanced yield and elemental concentration. Key words: Broadcast fertilizer, Ipomoea batatas, banded fertilizer, side-dressing, elemental concentration, storage roots, plant nutrition.

Sewage sludge is considered as a valuable supplement because of its high organic matter, macro and micro nutrients. Its application has been studied in combination with recommended fertilizer dose (NPK is combination of N, P and K) for crops, viz. Kale and Spinach. The experiment comprised nine treatments (T1=0%SS+0%NPK as Control, T2=25%SS+0%NPK, T3=50%SS+0%NPK, T4=75%SS+0%NPK, T5=100%SS+0%NPK, T6=25%SS+75%NPK, T7=50%SS+50%NPK, T8=75%SS+25%NPK and T9=0%SS+100%NPK) which were laid in a completely randomized manner with triplicates. The study revealed that morphological characters, viz. root length per plant, shoot length per plant, root fresh and dry biomass, leaf area index and weight of edible part were significantly higher in T9 (0%SS+100%NPK) in both kale and spinach. Similarly, leaf area was significantly higher in T8 (75%SS+25% NPK) treatment in both kale and spinach. The various parameters related to plant quality like ascorbic acid, carbohydrate content and protein content were significantly higher with application of 75% Sewage sludge+25%NPK and hence improve growth, yield and quality of kale and spinach. Key words: Sewage sludge, NPK, growth, yield, quality, kale, spinach.

As the overuse of nitrogen fertilizer has caused series of environmental problems, improving the nitrogen use efficiency of rice crop has been drawing much attention. Since developing nitrogen-efficient rice genotypes is a feasible solution, illustrating the microbiological characteristics of the nitrogen-efficient rice genotypes is of great importance. We performed a field experiment, and planted 16 genotypes of rice. The nitrogen utilization efficiencies and yields of rice were examined. Real-time PCR and Illumina sequencing were employed to investigate the abundance of the nitrogen-cycle related genes and the bacterial community structure of the rhizosphere. The results revealed that rice genotypes enriched specific bacterial communities to inhabit in the rhizosphere at both the taxonomic and functional levels. The enriched bacteria were mainly involved in the functions of nitrogen transformation, ferric iron reduction, organic compound biodegradation, and sulfur transformation. We observed a strong correlation between the yield and the abundance of rhizospheric functional bacteria, especially the groups of Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi. The analysis of nitrite reductase and denitrifying genes showed that the denitrification activity in the rhizosphere inversely correlate with the efficiency of nitrogen utilization. We reason that a smaller denitrifying bacteria population leads to less the nitrogen loss in the rhizosphere, thus an increase of available nitrogen and a higher rice yield. This research revealed how functional bacteria assembled in the rhizosphere of rice genotypes with varied nitrogen use efficiencies, which may provide valuable information with regard to the improvement of nitrogen use efficiency and reduction of fertilizer application.

Microalgae, Botryococcus braunii in particular, have received increasing interest owing to their potential as biofuel sources. Although the fertilizer components present in wastewater are useful in reducing the cost of commercial production of microalgae, the ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) acidifies the medium and may inhibit the growth of B. braunii. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of calcium carbonate in preventing the growth inhibition of B. braunii by suppressing pH decrease caused by NH4+-N. Four types of modified Chu13 media were prepared: a control, one with NH4+-N, one with calcium carbonate, and one with calcium carbonate and NH4+-N. Then, the pH, NH4+-N concentration, B. braunii growth, and hydrocarbon content were measured. We found that in the NH4+-N treatment without calcium carbonate, the pH decreased to approximately 4, and there was almost no algal growth even after 20 days. In contrast, there were no differences in the growth rate and medium pH (7–8) between the treatment with calcium carbonate and the control medium. In addition, calcium ions were leached into the medium with calcium carbonate as the culture progressed, confirming the effectiveness of calcium carbonate in maintaining a constant pH and thus preventing growth inhibition. As such, the addition of calcium carbonate effectively prevents B. braunii growth inhibition by suppressing pH decrease and is more cost-effective than aggressive pH adjustment with alkali or acid or by adding buffer solutions into the medium. This simple and inexpensive method can be used for the removal of ammonia from wastewater.

A field experiment was conducted to find out appropriate nutrient and weed management practices for yield maximization and nutrient uptake of onion during rabi 2018-19 at the experimental plot of Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station, Keonjhar of Odisha. The experiment was laid out in Split plot technique with fifteen treatments viz., Main plot belongs to Nutrient management (N) with treatments i.e. N1- Soil test based fertilizer recommendation (STBFR), N2 - 50% STBFR + FYM (Based on N requirement), N3-STBFR + Sulphur), while Subplots belongs to weed management (W) with treatments viz., W1- Pendimethalin (PE) @ 0.8 Lha-1, W2- Oxyflurofen (PE) @ 0.2 Lha-1, W3-Pendimethalin (PE) @ 0.8 Lha-1+ one hand weeding at 25 days after transplanting(DAT), W4-Oxyflurofen (PE) @ 0.2 Lha-1+ one hand weeding at 25 days after transplanting(DAT), W5- one hand weeding at 25 days after transplanting (DAT). The highest onion bulb yield of 16.72 t ha-1 was obtainedunder the treatment applied with Pendimethalin (PE) @ 0.8 Lha-1 along with one hand weeding at 25 DAT, followed by Oxyfluorfen 0.2Lha-1 pre-emergence + 1 hand weeding at 25 DAT (15. 88 t ha-1). The treatment combination of N2W3 (96.83, 16.80, 57.73 kg ha-1) was recorded the highest N, P, and Kuptake by crops respectively while N3W3 (51.39 kg ha-1 ) was recorded as the highest S uptake by a crop over the rest of the treatments.

Background and Objective: Justicia gendarussa (family Acanthaceae) is regarded as a medicinal plant valued for its beneficial pharmacological activities. A polybag experiment has been conducted at Bogor (Indonesia) to determine the effects on growth, photosynthetic and yield of various NPK ratios and manure fertilizer application in J. gendarussa. Materials and Methods: Six treatments (control: 50 g/plant manure, NPK (1.1 g/plant N:0.7 g/plant P2O5 and 0.6 g/plant K), 50+50%/plant (manure+NPK), 10+50%/plant (manure+NPK) and 50+10%/plant (manure+NPK) were performed in a randomized complete block design. Data of individual plants were extracted from various treatments: plant height, number of leaves, number of branches, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic parameters, yield and sugar content were collected. Results: The plant treated with 10+50%/plant (manure+NPK) demonstrated a statistically significant increase in plant height, number of leaves and number of branches with the value of 59.00 cm, 85.00 per plant and 9.50 per plant, respectively. Chlorophyll a (0.538 mg g1 FW), chlorophyll b (0.192 mg g1 FW) and total chlorophyll (0.730 mg g1 FW) were significantly improved by the treatment of NPK fertilizer. The application of manure and NPK at (50+50%) and (50+10%) was significantly increased stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, respectively. Leaves yield (9 g/plant DW) was improved by the application of 10+50%/plant (manure+NPK) fertilizer. The highest sugar content was obtained from J. gendarussa growth with 50+50%/plant (manure+NPK) followed by 10+50% plant (manure+NPK) fertilizer. Conclusion: The J. gendarussa plants could benefit from combined manure and NPK fertilizer application in growth, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, transpiration rate, leaves yield and sugar content.

Field experiments were carried out during the 2015/16 and 2016/17 dry cropping seasons at the Experiment Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City. The study was a 2 x 4 factorial fitted into a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in three replications. Two tomato varieties (Roma savannah and UC82) and four times of fertilizer application (T1: all fertilizer applied at 2 weeks after transplanting (2WAT), T2: 1/2 of the fertilizer applied at 2WAT and 1/2 at flowering, T3: one third 1/3 applied at 2WAT, 1/3 at flowering, 1/3 at fruiting and T4: all fertilizer applied at flowering) were used. In both years, stem diameter, number of flowers, fruits and fruit weight/plant (kg/ha) and yield were significantly improved by Roma savannah. Fruit diameter (5.70 cm and 4.75 cm) increased with UC82 compared with Roma savannah which produced the lowest fruit diameter (3.95 cm and 3.11 cm). Roma savannah had a higher fruit yield of 8.59 t ha-1 and 7.24 t ha-1 compared with 5.99 t ha-1 and 4.57 t ha-1 produced by UC82. In 2016/17 cropping season T3 and T4 significantly improved stem diameter above other treatments and T2 and T4 produced highest fruit yields which were similar. However, in both years highest fruit yields (10.39 t ha-1 and 7.09 t ha-1) were consistent with T2. The use of Roman savannah variety and T2 treatment should be encouraged for tomato production, in terms of higher fruit yield in this locality.

Calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus) is a woody shrub with various characteristics that have made it useful in agroforestry systems. Recently, a biomass gasification power plant (BGPP) is engaging in extending calliandra plantations because of calliandra’s high heating value. Since the byproduct of BGPP is biochar, widely known for helping CO2 mitigation, this research aims to integrate biochar application into calliandra plantings. Experiments evaluating biochar applications were implemented on a new farm in Indonesia's Kundur Island, yielding calliandra wood for BGPP and fresh leaves for sheep farming. Chicken manure that had been co-composted with biochar was provided as fertilizer. In nursery experiments, the application of 1.1 kg m−2 biochar provided the greatest qualified seedlings. A field experiment showed that 1 or 1.25 kg m−2 biochar application yielded the most sizable wood and fresh leaves. The soil covering with biochar increased the yield of wood and fresh leaves, suggesting biochar mulching could be used for subsequent batches of calliandra regeneration. Thus, this study concluded that the application of biochar benefited calliandra nursery planting, field planting, and shoot regeneration. With a stable monthly temperature, the experiment site could have insufficient calliandra growth due to distinct dry and wet seasons. The regression analysis showed a strong correlation (R2 > 0.878) between wood production and rainfall, suggesting the growth of calliandra could be predicted from rainfall forecasts. Therefore, a calliandra agroforest system with biochar application and sufficient rainfall could enable a sustainable biomass supply for both BGPP and sheep farming.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the biofertilization capacity of five different species of algae, representative of the three main groups of macroalgae selected from Lake Ganzirri in Messina, Venice Lagoon and Norwegian coasts. The experiments, started in January 2021, were conducted in the greenhouses of CREA-OF in Pescia (Pt), Tuscany, Italy (43°54′N 10°41′E) on Carpobrotus edulis, Kalanchoe daigremontiana and Kalanchoe tubiflora from seed. The test showed a significant increase in the agronomic parameters analysed in plants treated with algae extracts on succulents cultivated. The test also showed increased control of the pathogen Pythium debaryanum in seedlings where the algae extracts were introduced and also an increase in the percentage of seed germination and a reduction in the average germination time. This research work has shown that algal species have great potential for use in the development of biofertilisers in sustainable agriculture in terms of cost-effectiveness, ecological role, possible reduction of synthetic fertilisers and plant protection products, increased soil fertility and microbiological diversity.

Effects of fertilization with digestate from agricultural biogas plant and its influence on growth and selected physiological parameters of maize, triticale, and sorghum plants cultivated for biogas production were studied in this work. The digestate was used as an organic fertilizer, being a substitute or supplement to mineral fertilization. The fertilization with the digestate had a positive effect on the fresh matter yield (FMY) of sorghum (85.4 Mg ha-1), the dry matter content (DM) of maize (41.9%) and sorghum (23.6%), as well as on the dry matter yield (DMY) of triticale (12.2 Mg ha-1) and sorghum (19.8 Mg ha-1). Among the studied species, the maize fertilized with digestate (variants N2 and N3) showed better growth responses compared to the maize that was fertilized with mineral fertilizers (plant nutrition status – SPAD of 54.8). No significant influence of fertilization variant was observed on the photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) and the leaf area index (LAI) of the tested plant species. The digestate proved to be a good fertilizer, supporting high yields without adverse effects on the physiological parameters of the plants.

Angelica acutiloba (Siebold & Zucc.) Kitag., the source plant of the crude drug Angelicae acutilobae radix, is traditionally cultivated in western regions of Japan. Since A. acutiloba is now also grown in Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture of the country, the cultivation method, especially the quantity of fertilizer, needs to be adapted because of the cooler climate and shorter growing period. In this study, we compared plant growth and harvest yield of A. acutiloba cultivated with different amounts of nitrogen (N) fertilizer. When plants were fertilized with 24 kg N/10 a, the aerial part was lush, and the diameter at the top of the root was about 1.3 times thicker than that in plants treated with 12 kg N/10 a. On the other hand, the weight of the harvested root grown with 24 kg N/10 a was slightly, although not significantly, less than that in plants grown with 12 kg N/10 a. In addition, we found that the content of (Z)-ligustilide, a major essential oil contained in A. acutiloba root, is affected by nitrogen application. Interestingly, it increased with increasing amounts of supplied nitrogen. However, the importance of Angelicae acutilobae radix as the crude drug is not limited to its (Z)-ligustilide content, and there are also other crucial quality features, such as having thick lateral roots, which were generated in this study with a moderate nitrogen application. We conclude that about 12 kg N/10 a is the optimal amount of nitrogen for healthy growth of A. acutiloba in Hokkaido.

The fertilizer values of ashes from commonly used woody species in the tropics are not well-known. To determine whether ashes of Theobroma cacao, Persea americana, Cola nitida, Mangifera indica, Citrus sinensis, Prunus dulcis, and Senna siamea are suitable fertilizers, we studied the contents of total and plant-available elements. Ashes of dry wood samples burnt at 500 °C were digested in Aqua-regia and Mehlich-3 extractants to determine the contents of total and plant-available elements, respectively, with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Ash yields ranged from 3.1 to 7.1% with pH (H2O) of 7.8–12.9. The ashes contained high P, Ca, K, Mg, S, Fe, Na, Mn, Cu, and Zn contents, with significant effects among the species. Total element content ranged from (g kg−1) 2–49 P, 19–218 Ca, 64–325 K, 48–95 Mg, 0.4–16 Fe, 3.6–29 Na, (mg kg−1) 143–798 Mn, 52–81 Cu, and 188–312 Zn. Available plant elements ranged from (mg kg−1) 22–512 P, 37,491–88,303 K, 2948–19,713 Ca, 13,719–29,001 Mg, 75–168 Mn, 40–74 Cu, 44–91 Zn, 1.5–383 Fe, and 836–6937 Na. The releasability (proportion of plant-available elements from the total) ranged from 0.08 to 92.8%. The relatively high releasability (25.4–80.4%) of Ca, K, Mg, Mn, Cu, and Zn in the ashes of the over-all species can supplement low nutrient availability for plants. The low releasability of P (1.1%) of the overall species explains its persistence in soils applied with ashes. The high yield of the ashes and pH support their ideal use, especially for very acidic soils. Ashes of the studied species are suitable fertilizers for soils according to the availability and releasability of macro(P, Ca, K, Mg S) and microelements (Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, Na). Total and plant-available Ni, Pb, As, and Cd contents in the ashes were below permissible limits in soils. Thus, the studied ashes are especially suitable for soils with high acidity and low fertility.

Fertilizer substitutes elements that have been used by plants. There are two available fertilizers, inorganic and organic fertilizers. Long-term use of inorganic fertilizers on a land negatively affects the crop and the soil fertility, hence, the organic one is a better choice. This study aims to determine the effect of liquid organic fertilizer of banana peels on the growth of red spinach and determine the best treatment for red spinach growth. This study used a Completely Randomized Design consisted of 2 factors (dosage of POC banana peel and length of fermentation time). Each has 4 levels, 3 replicates. The results of data analysis using ANOVA test show that the treatment of fermentation length and dosage of POC banana peel increase growth parameters of red spinach include plant height, leaf number, leaf area, fresh weight, and dry weight, while the interaction treatment of fermentation length and dosage of POC banana peel affects almost all growth parameters, except for the leaf area parameter that shows no interaction. DMRT (α 5%) test shows that the best combination treatment for plant height and fresh weight is a dosage of 8 ml POC of banana peel that have been fermented for 15 days, and the best treatment for leaf number and dry weight is a dosage of 8 ml POC of banana peel that have been fermented for 10 days.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) allow plants to make better use of water and minerals. This alliance concerns the majority of crops and might greatly limit their dependence on fertilizers. In this work, AMF contribution and moderate fertilization were assessed for their impact on root colonization, growth, yield, number of fruits and soluble dry matter of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. Fahla F1) in a Mediterranean agroecosystem (El-Tarf, Algeria). The soil had a low available phosphorus content and a low mycorrhizal potential. Tomato seedlings were uninoculated (M−) or inoculated (M+) with a commercial AMF inoculum. Three NPK (10.42.10) fertilizer rates corresponding to 0, 2000 and 4000 mg plant−1 were applied. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased root colonization levels (+48%), height (+8.78%), shoot dry biomass (+21.5%), root dry biomass (+34.45%), total yield (+8.07%) and number of fruits (+19.05%). NPK decreased root colonization levels; however, it enhanced significantly tomato growth with the highest shoot dry biomass obtained with 2000 mg plant -1. Total yield and number of fruits increased with increasing NPK rate; the highest yield occurred with 4000 mg plant−1. Soluble dry matter was not affected by AMF or NPK. Tomato inoculation combined to a reduced fertilization can provide appreciable gains in terms of growth and yield in a low P soil with a low mycorrhizal potential, which enhances agricultural sustainability due to a decreased impact of fertilizers.

Malapari (Pongamia pinnata) is a potential plant for biodiesel and has the ability to grow on marginal land. Malapari cultivation has not yet been carried out due to low economic value. Agroforestry crop patterns are expected to provide intermediate results so that people would be interested in planting malapari. Planting on coastal land requires the right technology to produce optimal growth. This study aims to determine the effect of malapari cropping patterns and evaluate biological fertilizer application in the seedling phase after planting in the field. The research uses a split plot design (Split Plot Design) with the main factors that are the pattern of malapari planting and sub-plots that are the type of application of biofertilizer. The results obtained from the study showed that the interaction of cropping pattern treatment and biofertilizer application did not give significant growth to malapari; the combination of the application of organic manure, Trichoderma spp and mycorrhiza bio-fertilizers in the nursery yielded the largest malapari diameter growth after planting in the field at the age of 3 years.

Two field experiments were conducted at Dakahlia., Egypt during 209/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons to evaluate the response of sugar beet to boron spraying (Control, 1.0 mg B as Milano [15 %boron]/15 L water, 2.0 mg B as Milano 15 %boron/15 L water, 0.5 g B as borax 11%boron /15 L water, 1.0 g B as borax 11%boron /15 L water, 0.5 g B as boric acid 17%boron/15 L water and 1 g B as boric acid 17%boron /15 L water ) and combinations of compost with mineral nitrogen fertilizer (100% N mineral nitrogen, 75 mineral N + 25 % compost, 50 mineral N + 50 % compost, 25 mineral N + 75 % compost and100% N as compost.). Split plot design in 3 replications was used where, the N sources were attributed at the main plots while, the sub plots included boron treatments. The results showed that 100% N mineral nitrogen was superior treatment compared with the other N treatments, as well as spraying B at rate of 1.0 g 15 L-1 as boric acid came in the first order compared with the other B treatments. On the other hand, the plants received 75 mineral N + 25 % compost and sprayed by Boron from any source and by any rate recorded the better responses compared with plants received 100% N mineral nitrogen as mineral fertilizer without B application.

In a context of sustainable agriculture, the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represents a potential tool for environmentally friendly agricultural management in the face of the challenges of climate change and the reduction in the costs and disadvantages of mineral fertilization. This study therefore aims to evaluate the performance of five indigenous strains of AMF (Glomus caledonius, Rhizophagus intraradices, Funneliformis geosporum, Acaulospora capsicula, Acaulospora dilatata and Diversispora globifera) on maize productivity. The experimental design was a split-split plot with three replicates with chemical fertilizer and type of mycorrhizal fungus as factors. The different parameters of growth, yield and mycorrhization were evaluated. The results obtained showed that inoculation of corn with the native strains of AMF had a significant effect (P

Sustainability of biogas production is strongly dependent on soil-borne greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during feedstock cultivation. Maize (Zea mays) is the most common feedstock for biogas production in Europe. Since it is an annual crop requiring high fertilizer input, maize cropping can cause high GHG emissions on sites that, due to their hydrology, have high N2O emission potential. On such sites, cultivation of cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) as a perennial crop could be a more environmentally friendly alternative offering versatile ecosystem services. To evaluate the possible benefits of perennial cup plant cropping on GHG emissions and nitrogen losses, an incubation study was conducted with intact soil cores from a maize field and a cup plant field. The 15N gas flux method was used to quantify N source-specific N2 and N2O fluxes. Cumulated N2O emissions and N2+N2O emissions did not differ significantly between maize and cup plant soils, but tended to be higher in maize soil. Soils from both systems exhibited relatively high and similar N2O/(N2+N2O) ratios (N2Oi). N2O emissions originating from sources other than the 15N-labelled NO3 pool were low, but were the only fluxes exhibiting a significant difference between the maize and cup plant soils. Missing differences in fluxes derived from the 15N pool indicate that under the experimental conditions with high moisture and urn:x-wiley:17571693:media:gcbb12879:gcbb12879-math-0001 level, and without plants, the cropping system had little effect on N fluxes related to denitrification. Lower soil pH and higher bulk density in the cup plant soil are likely to have reduced the mitigation potential of perennial biomass cropping.

Over the years, the use of organic materials in farming has reduced due to the increase in the use of chemical fertilizers which are rich in readily available plant nutrients. Intensive use of chemical fertilizers may have depressing effect on yield of watermelon. The field experiment were conducted at the Experimental Clinic of the Laboratory “Selection of vegetable and melon crops” and in the laboratory “Biosafety and Biocontrol of vegetable and melon crops” of Regional Branch “Kainar” of the LLP “Kazakh Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Growing” which is located in the foothill zone of the southeast of Kazakhstan, to study the effects of different types of organic fertilizers (cow manure, poultry manure and biohumus) and recommended chemical fertilizer (NPK) on the characteristics of watermelon (growth parameters, yield and quality) of southeast of Kazakhstan. There were significant differences among the treatments in relation to fruit yield of watermelon, growth paremeters and quality properties (dry matter, total sugar, Vitamin C and NO3-N). Recommended fertilizer dose (N90P60K60) had the highest fruit yield of watermelon and growth paremeters followed by manure applied at 40 t ha-1. All the fertilizer treatments had higher yield of watermelon than control. From this study, the use of manure as an organic fertilizer in the cultivation of watermelon could be used as alternative to chemical fertilizer. It is recommended that manure at 40 t ha-1 be adopted for watermelon cultivation in in the Southeast of Kazakhstan.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis L.) is an annual winter plant that belongs to family Asteraceae. It generally used as landscape bedding or ornamental potted plants. The economic and environmental sustainability of ornamental plants production can be improved by environmentally friendly organic substance, such as humic acid (HA). Seedlings of Calendula were sprayed by the organic foliar (HA) fertilizer (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/L) for one, two, three and four times every 15 days after transplanting. Growth traits, leaf pigment contents, leaf gas exchange, and leaf water potential of C. officinalis were determined. The results showed that plants treated with foliar applications of HA with different levels exhibited plant height, the number of leaves, leaf area, shoot dry mass, and as well as the number of flowers, flowers display time, flower diameter and flower dry mass. shootsThe promoting influences of the foliar application of HA on the growth and development of plants were obvious reflected using the two dose 1.5 and 2.0 g/L at three times. Humic acid enhanced vegetative and flowering traits of the Calendula plant, improved leaf pigments content and both photosynthesis rate and transpiration rate. Therefore, HA gives a good chance to improve the growth of Calendula as a model for ornamental plants production.