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Inadequate fertilization may result in water pollution and nutrient leaching, especially in paddy fields. It is expected that the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers reduces water pollution in addition to crop yield improvement. In this study, combined fertilization with organic and inorganic fertilizers was tested under controlled irrigation conditions. With the addition of organic fertilizer, the pH of paddy soil could be maintained in a rather neutral environment, and the soil organic matter concentration could increase - especially under a controlled irrigation regime. Hydrolyzed nitrogen was noticed in the fertilized plots with an increasing trend compared to unfertilized plots. However, available phosphorus concentration decreased in all treatments after rice harvest. During the drainage process, the ammonium nitrogen was the main form of nitrogen loss. Organic fertilizer application significantly improved productive panicles and thus increased paddy yield. We concluded that with the combination of organic-inorganic fertilizer application and controlled irrigation, the pollutants can be removed to some extent and the rice yield can be increased significantly, which is favorable for environmental protection and yield promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macro- and micro nutrients were managed in soil and mulberry foliage through application of urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP). Urea at the rate of 608 kg/ha and DAP at the rate of 260 kg/ha was applied on six mulberry varieties. The results showed a deficiency in nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc and manganese in soil before the fertilizer application. Contrarily, high copper and potassium contents were found. After three weeks of fertilizer application, concentration of N, P, K and Fe in the soil almost doubled. Zinc and Cu contents decreased significantly (p<0.01). The highest N, P and K were found in mulberry variety PFI-1, M. latifolia and Karyansuban, respectively. The highest Cu and Mn were found in Kanmasi. The highest Zn and Fe were found in Husang and Karyansuban, respectively. A significant variation in uptake and retention of macro- and micro nutrients was found in the mulberry varieties after fertilizer application. The highest N was taken up by Kanmasi, while the highest P and K were taken up by Husang. Iron and Cu increased, and Zn and Mn decreased after week 3 of fertilizer application. Nitrogen was 1.5 to 2.6 times greater after week 6 of fertilizer application compared to before fertilizer application. Similarly, P and K were 4.7 to 6.6 times and 2.6 to 3.9 times greater, respectively. Based on these findings, it is concluded that urea in split doses and diammonium phosphate in single dose should be applied 3-4 weeks before the commencement of rearing of Mulberry Silkworm Moth for nutritionally rich mulberry foliage. Ghulam Ali Bajwa*, Muhammad Arshad Khan [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]