Farmanullah Khan

Soil and plants nutrient status and wheat growth after mycorrhiza inoculation with and without vermicompost

ABSTRACT Two vermicompost treatments providing 45 (V1) and 90 (V2) kg P ha−1 and mycorrhizae (M) inoculation were evaluated alone and in combinations for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and soil fertility status. The treatments included; the Control, nitrogen (N): dipotassium oxide (K2O) as basal dose (BD; 120:60 kg ha−1), N: phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5): K2O as recommended dose (RD; 120:90:60 kg ha−1), BD+Myccorhiza (BDM), BD+V1 (BDV1), BDM+V1 (BDMV1), BD+V2 (BDV2), and BDM+V2 (BDMV2). Combination of mycorrhizae and vermicompost (BDMV1 and BDMV2) significantly and maximally improved the growth, plant N, phosphorus (P), and micronutrient concentrations over the control, reduced the soil pH by 5 and 6%, increased OM by 25 and 112%, total N by 41%, and extractable P up to 200% while the extent of improvement was directly related to the content of added vermicompost. Results indicated that vermicompost at either level synergistically affected the mycorrhizae in plant nutrition as well as improved soil fertility status and soil chemical properties.

Root order-based traits of Manchurian walnut & larch and their plasticity under interspecific competition

Manchurian walnut and larch are key timber species of northeast China but information on (fine) root traits of both species is scarce. Plasticity of root traits in mixed plantations has been studied rarely although this could give important insights into mechanisms of root competition. This study examined root traits by branching order in 30-yr-old monocultures and their plasticity in mixed plantations. In monocultures, Manchurian walnut and larch differed in key fine root traits. Larch roots hold more absorptive root orders, larger diameter and lower specific root length/area. Walnut root orders featured greater cortex:stele ratios, N-concentrations and respiration rates. Under interspecific competition, the proportion of walnut root tips increased, the biomass/length of larch root orders 1–3 decreased. Larch possessed a greater morphological and anatomical plasticity of terminal root orders than walnut. Mycorrhizal colonization rates of walnut were reduced. Both species differed fundamentally in their fine root properties. Absorptive fine root orders reacted plastic under interspecific competition while traits of higher root orders remained unchanged. In mixture, larch roots possessed a greater plasticity in traits related to resource uptake (efficiency) than walnut roots whose reaction norm is suggested to be predominantly based on interference competition via juglone exudation.

Effect of Amendments on Bioavailability of Heavy Metals to Alfalfa and Biomass Yield Irrigated with Wastewater

AbstractA field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of wastewater irrigation and various amendments on the bioavailability of metals to crops and its yield. Alfalfa was sown in 2×1-m plots receiving different amendments in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Five different amendments, farmyard manure (FYM; 10  t/ha), poultry manure (PM; 10  t/ha), humic acid (HA; 2.5  kg/ha), di-ammonium phosphate (DAP; 120  kgP/ha), and triple superphosphate (TSP; 120  kgP/ha) were applied to the soil prior to sowing crop along with a control receiving either wastewater or tubewell without amendments. The plants’ biomass results indicated that wastewater irrigation, when supplied with or without amendment, produced significantly higher yield (56% increase due to HA and wastewater application) than tubewell irrigation, indicating its nutritive value. Concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, and Fe accumulated by crop from wastewater were higher (84%, 94%, 112%, and 45%, respectively) and may cause p...

Organic Fertility of Severely Eroded Soils: Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilization and Cropping Patterns

A study was conducted on farmer’s field for the restoration of fertility status of severely eroded soils in north west Pakistan during 2006 and 2007. Two factors viz fertilizer treatments included T1 (control), T2 (50% NP also called farmer’s practice), T3 (100% NPK) and T4 (20 t·ha−1 farmyard manure integrated with 50% N and 100% PK as mineral fertilizers) whereas cropping patterns included C1 (maize-wheat-maize rotation), C2 (maizelentil-maize rotation) and C3 (maize-wheat+lentil intercrop-maize rotation). Experiment was started in Kharif 2006 and was carried out continuously for four seasons till Rabi 2007. At the end of the experiment, soil samples were collected from the surface (0∼20 cm) soil and analyzed for total N, microbial biomass N (MBN), mineralizable N, Organic matter (OM), microbial biomass C (MBC) at day 3, day 6 and day 10 incubation periods. Results suggested that the organic fertility of soil was significantly increased with fertilizer addition and the highest soil organic fertility was found in the treatment that received organic and inorganic fertilizers in integration (T4) which showed 52%, 14%, 17%, 60%, 56%, 57% and 60% increase in total N, mineralizable N, MNB, OM, MBC at day3, day 6 and day 10 over the control treatment respectively. Cropping patterns also affected soil organic fertility where cereal-legume rotation showed 21%, 13%, 6%, 17%, 21%, 22% and 13% increase in the above parameters and time. Fertilizers must be applied in integrated form which carries 50% N from inorganic source and the rest of 50% from organic sources to improve the level of organic fertility of eroded soils on sustained basis. Results further suggested that legumes must be entered into conventional cereal-cereal rotation to improve the N input and organic fertility of severely eroded soils.