Fertilizer Management

An experiment was carried out to examine the effectiveness of four different composts formulated from poultry (PM) and cowdung (CD) manures as primary constituents and two bulking agents namely sawdust (SD) and sorted refuse (SR) on some yield components of maize for two cropping seasons. All compost mixtures were fortified with rock phosphate and urea. The compost treatments (PM/SD, PM/SR, CD/SD and CD/SR at ratio 3:1) were applied at 2.5 tonnes/ha, replicated three times with NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer applied at 300 kg/ha as reference treatment and a control (no compost, no fertilizer), all arranged in a randomized complete design. The results showed that the composts significantly increased (P<0.05) all the maize yield components measured for the two cropping seasons. The PM/SD and PM/SR produced a higher grain yield of 3326 and 3218 kg/ha, respectively, for the first cropping season and 1603 and 2423 kg/ha, respectively, for the second season compared to the cowdung-based com...

Bioenvironmental management, Plant Nutrition.
"The article on Rational Agriculture is entirely inspired by the words of Jerry Stoller
and his deep understanding of the living processes in the Plant. This small contribution to increasing quality and quantity production, which is certifiably Eco-friendly, owes a depth of gratitude to Stoller Products that have been prominently demonstrated in remote and poverty-stricken locations in Rural Pakistan. The earth-friendly tillers of the soil and especially the contact youth who shouldered the responsibility of applying the Stoller Advantage for the larger interest of Sustainable Poverty Alleviation and Nurturing Nature in order to ensure that Nature continues to Nurture us, are warmly acknowledged and humbly thanked.
Pakistan is expected to be one of the most affected Countries in South Asia by
climate change.3 With 45% of the labor force employed in the agricultural sector and 24% of the National GDP deriving from agriculture,4 the resilience of agricultural production is of high importance to the development of Pakistan’s economy. One adaptation could be to change the time that crop planting takes place. For instance, to counter rising temperatures, farmers could shift planting to cooler times of the year.

The experiment was carried out to study the effect of variety and level of phosphorus fertilizer on the yield and yield components of lentil at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during October 2009 to March 2010. Three lentil varieties viz. BINA masur 2, BINA masur 3 and BARI masur 4 and four levels of phosphorus viz. 0 kg P ha-1 (P0), 15 kg P ha-1 (P15), 30 kg P ha-1 (P30) and 45 kg P ha-1 (P45) were used in this experiment. Varieties showed significant influence on the all characters except plant height. The highest seed yield (1165 kg ha-1) was observed in BARI masur 4, and the lowest seed yield (1028 kg ha-1) was found in BINA masur 3. Phosphorus fertilizer had a significant effect on all the plant characters studied except 1000 seed weight. The highest seed yield (1222kg ha-1) was observed in P45 (45 kg P ha-1) treatment and the lowest seed yield (893 kg ha-1) was found in P0 treatment. In case of interaction, effect of cultivar and phosphorus fertilizer doses had a significant effect on all the plant characters studied except seeds pod-1 and 1000-seed weight. The highest seed yield (1317 kg ha-1) was obtained in V3 X P45 treatment, and the lowest seed yield (830 kg ha-1) was observed in V2 X P0 treatment combination. Among the varieties BINA masur 2 and BARI masur 4 were superior to BINA masur 3 in respect of yield performance with 30 kg P ha-1. BARI masur 4 fertilized with 30 kg P ha-1 produced the highest seed yield.

Potato productivity has stagnated and remained low due to, among other causes, increasing soil infertility and poor nutrient management strategies. To avert this situation, it is essential to have a better understanding of potato response to nitrogen and potassium nutrients. Like other crops, potatoes require an adequate and balanced supply of nutrients for better growth and tuber yields. To achieve that, it is essential to conduct an extensive soil analyses for the entire farm. However, this process is expensive for most resource-constrained farmers. Moreover, the current recommendations used in the region are generic and focuses more on nitrogen than potassium. Hence, there is a need to focus on readily and freely available information for enhanced decision-making. The assumption that the soils in the region are
fertile and can supply adequate potassium is no longer valid, and now necessitates more actions such as adopting integrated soil fertility and precise application of nutrients within the 4R principles. All these aspects are well covered in this article. We believe the information
presented in this manuscript is valuable and give a better foundation for future research and recommendations in potato production.

The present study was carried out during two successive seasons, 2011/2012 and
2012/2013, at the Agricultural Research Station; El-Otouria, Sheehaniya, Doha,
Qatar; to investigate the response of two tomato cultivars (Isabella and Milas) to
biofertilizers and amino acids. Two biofertilizer treatments, rizobacterien at a rate of
2 and 4 liter per feddan and one of amino acid (Delfan) at a rate of 200 ppm, were
used. Chicken manure, at a rate of 10 tons/ feddan, was the control treatment. Results
showed the superiority of Isabella compared to Milas in terms of vegetative growth
and fruit yield. Using Rizobacterien at a rate of 4 liter/feddan plus Delfan (amino
acids) at a rate of 200 ppm increased growth and fruit chemical characters, earliness
and total yield. The average fruit weight per plant was significantly high under
Rizobacteria at a rate of 4 liter/feddan plus Delfan (amino acids) at a rate of 200 ppm.
The lowest vegetative growth, fruit and yield characters were obtained from
Rizobacteria at a rate of 2 liter/feddan. The water productivity results showed that all
treatments led to the increase of fruit yield. Isabella cultivar had higher water
productivity than Milas cultivar. Using of Rizobacterien at a rate of four liter/feddan
also increased the water productivity. The same trend was obtained by using Delfan
at a rate of 200 ppm. Concerning water productivity, Isabella cultivar had higher
water productivity 16.7 and 17.2 kg of tomato fruits per cubic meter of irrigation
water (m
3
)compared with Milas cultivar which produced15.9 and 16.5 kg tomato
fruits per cubic meter of irrigation water for first and second seasons, respectively.
Isabella cultivar plus amino acid (Delfan) gave the highest water productivity 19.1
and 19.7 kg of tomato fruits per m3 water for first and second seasons, respectively
compared the other treatments

Declining soil fertility levels due to application of low rates and unbalanced nutrientsis one of the main causes of low yields in western Kenya. We therefore designed a randomized complete block nutrient omission trialwith six replications to determine the effects of inorganic fertilizers on grain yield, nutrient use efficiency and economic returns of maize in the region. The treatments were NK, NP, PK, NPK and NPK+CaMgZnBS.The results showed that application of PK fertilizer regime resulted in short plants, slow crop growth rate (CGR), and relative growth rate (RGR), small leaf area and low biomass compared to other treatments. Application of a wider range of nutrients (NPK+CaMgZnBS treatment) improved maize growth and yield compared to other treatments. In terms of grain response, N application recorded the highest yield (1800 kg/ha) followed by P (1300 kg/ha) then K (1100 kg/ha) and least by a combined application of secondary macro and micronutrients (ZnBMgCaS = 400 kg/ha). Highest agronomic efficiency of 32.5 kg grain /kg nutrient applied was recorded due to Pfollowed by K (27.5 kg grain /kg nutrient) and least by N (15 kg grain /kg nutrient). Economic analysis showed higher total production cost, gross revenue and net revenue due to application of NPK+ZnBMgCaS fertilizerthan other treatments. However, the lowest (1.60) and highest (2.12) benefit to cost ratio values were recorded due to the application of PK and NPK fertilizer regimes, respectively. Based on this study, inclusion of Zn, B, Mg and Ca nutrients increased yields but was not economical. Therefore, farmers could be encouraged to apply a combination of N, P and K fertilizers only for better return on investment.

Agriculture for an honourable and high-minded man is the best of all occupations by which men procure the means of living. Advances in medicine and
agriculture have saved vastly more lives than have been lost in all the wars in history. Agriculture in Indian states has direct and indirect effect on the lives of
Indian people and in order to live up to the expectations, the sector has vastly grown and increased the output to several times. Improved means of cultivation,
technological advancements, modern equipments and high quality fertilizers have made it possible. Rapid growth and lack of crop rotation measures have made
to lose the soil fertility, thereby increasing the demand for fertilizers in India. The present paper highlights various issues in fertilizer marketing in the state of
Chhattisgarh. Firstly, it explores an idea on problems related to the sector in the state and secondly, attempts have been made to study the marketing mix of
fertilizer in the state.

Soybean (Glycine max. L) is among the most important legume crops produced in western Ethiopia. However, declining soil fertility and poor soil fertility management practices decrease yields. A field experiment was conducted in Bako Agricultural Research center during 2018 main cropping season to investigate the effect of NPS rates on yield and yield components of soybean varieties and to identify economically feasible rates of blended NPS rate that increase the productivity. Dhidhessa, Ethio-yugoslavia and Wello of soybean varieties and five rates of NPS (0, 50,100,150 and 200 kg ha-1). The experiment was laid out in arrangement in RCBD with three replications. The highest hundred seed weight (16.9g) was recorded from Ethio-yugoslavia and the lowest (15g) from Wello. Significant effect was exhibited on days to 50% flower, above ground biomass yield and seed yield due to main effects of NPS rate. The highest (55.78) and the lowest (53.78) numbers of days to flowering were recorded due to application of 200 kg NPS ha-1 and 0 kg NPS ha-1 , respectively. The tallest (81.63cm) and the shortest (65.60 cm) plants were recorded under 200 kg NPS ha-1 and 0 kg NPS ha-1 , respectively. The highest (8718 kg ha-1) above ground dry mass was obtained at the highest rate of 200 kg NPS ha-1 and the lowest (6910 kg ha-1) was due to 0 kg NPS ha-1. The highest (2763 kgha-1) seed yield was recorded from the application of 100 kgha-1 NPS rate and the lowest (1935kgha-1) seed yield was recorded from nil application of NPS fertilizer rate. The best combination with high grain yield and economic benefit is 100kgha-1 NPS fertilizer rate with Didhessa Variety. The major measured parameters contributing for grain yield were above ground biomass, number of pod per plant and no of primary branch per plant. This experiment generally confirmed as 100kgha-1 NPS for soybean was appropriate. This trial was conducted at strong acid soil, these it is expected as the plants might not have access to use the applied fertilizer and if it was conducted with lime application the responses might be changed. Thus, it can be concluded that combined application of 100 kg ha-1 of blended NPS with Dhidhessa variety could be used at similar agro ecology. However, since the study was conducted for one season at one location, it has to be repeated over seasons and locations to make a conclusive recommendation.

A field experiment was conducted at Raichur during  kharif-
2009 to validate the effect of Leaf Colour Chart (LCC) and Soil and Plant Analysis Development meter (SPAD) based nitrogen (N) management on growth and yield of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.). Treatments consists of N application based on LCC thresholds (3.5 to 5.0) and SPAD values (30 to 40) compared with state recommendation and farmers’ practice (220 kg ha -1
), were imposed through RCBD replicating thrice. The results revealed that N application based on LCC values @ 5 (120 kg ha
-1)and SPAD @ 37.5 (120 kg ha-1) were more beneficial in enhancing the growth and yield of the low land rice. The split application of N at higher doses enhances its uptake over basal application. Significantly better growth parameters were recorded when N requirement for rice was applied based on LCC @ 5 (120 kg ha-1) and SPAD @ 37.5 (120 kg ha-1). These were also recorded better yield parameters over farmers’ method and low N rates treatments. The results of the study implied that LCC threshold @ 5.0 or SPAD @ 37.5 are found to be effective as a decision tool for optimum N application in rice.

A field experiment was conducted at Raichur during kharif-2009 to validate the effect of Leaf Colour Chart (LCC) and Soil and Plant Analysis Development meter (SPAD) based nitrogen (N) management on growth and yield of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.). Treatments consists of N application based on LCC thresholds (3.5 to 5.0) and SPAD values (30 to 40) compared with state recommendation and farmers’ practice (220 kg ha-1), were imposed through RCBD replicating thrice. The results revealed that N application based on LCC values @ 5 (120 kg ha-1) and SPAD @ 37.5 (120 kg ha-1) were more beneficial in enhancing the growth and yield of the low land rice. The split application of N at higher doses enhances its uptake over basal application. Significantly better growth parameters were recorded when N requirement for rice was applied based on LCC @ 5 (120 kg ha-1)) and SPAD @ 37.5 (120 kg ha-1). These were also recorded better yield parameters over farmers’ method and low N rates treatments. T...

Field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Calabar to compare the effects of sole and combined use of organic manure and urea on soil properties and yield of fluted pumpkin during 2009 and 2010 cropping seasons. There were seven treatments consisting of sole and the combinations of organic manures and urea with a rate of 100 kg N/ha, regarded as full dose (i.e. 100 % sole applied urea, pig manure, poultry manure, 50 % combination of urea with 50 % of either of the organic manures, 50 % urea with 25 % of each of the organic manures and control). They were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that the application of the amendments significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil chemical properties (soil pH, total N, organic carbon, available phosphorus, exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, ECEC and base saturation) with the combined application of 50 % urea with 25 % of each of the organic manures giving the highest value for most of the parameters determined. The 50 % urea with 25 % of each of the organic manures significantly reduced soil acidity from a very strongly acid level of 4.10 (initial value before experiment) to 5.16, increased total N from 0.9 g/kg to 1.08 g/kg, increased organic carbon from 11.6 g/kg to 15.8 g/kg, increased available phosphorus from 40.50 mg/kg to 70.20 mg/kg. The fresh yield of fluted pumpkin was significantly (P < 0.05) increased across all stages of growth as a result of the amendments applied when compared with the control. The highest yield of 6178 kg/ha at 9 weeks after planting (WAP) was obtained from the combination of 50 % urea with 25 % of each of the organic manures. The use of urea in combination with poultry and pig manures, where available, or with either of the organic manures is recommended for yield and soil fertility improvements in the study area.

Field experiments were carried out in 2013 and 2014 at the Ministry of Agriculture Research farm, Akpabuyo, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. The experiments comprised of combined treatments of four spacing (50 x 30; 80 x 30; 50 x 50 and 70 x 40cm) with four levels of NPK 20-10-10 fertilizer (0, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha-1) laid out in a 4×4 split plot in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated three times. The results showed that the NPK fertilizer significantly increased growth parameters (plant height, leaf area, root length, number of leaves), yield and yield components. The highest yield in maize (193.36 t/ha-1) was obtained from application of NPK 90 kgha-1 , and with spacing of 70 × 40 cm. The interaction effect of spacing x fertilizer was significant (p<0.05) in which the application of 90 kg/ha-1 with the spacing of 70 × 40cm yielded 9.20 t/ha-1 , which was significantly (p<0.05) higher than all other treatment combination under similar experimental condition. This seemed to be appropriate for maize production with better economic returns to the farmer in the study area. Highest Leaf Area (LA) 167.5 cm 2 and Specific Leaf Area (SLA) 455.0 cm 2 g where obtained from the spacing of 70 × 40 cm while application of 90 kgha-1 gave the highest LA of 168.6 cm 2 and highest SLA of 456 cm 2 g respectively. There was 21.1% unit increase in shelling percentage from maize fertilized with 90 kgha-1 NPK fertilizer compared with the application 120 kgha-1 .

(2014) Performance of spacing and level of nitrogen on the yield and yield contributing characters of aromatic rice cv kalizira. Bangladesh Res. Pub. J. 9(3): 168-174. Retrieve from Abstract An experiment was conducted at the agronomy field laboratory, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology university, Dinajpur during the period from July to December 2013 to investigate the performance of spacing and level of nitrogen on the growth and yield characters of aromatic rice cv. Kalizira. The experiment included three spacing namely, 25cm×10cm, 25cm×15cm, 25cm×20 cm and three nitrogen level viz., 34kg, 40kg and 46kg.The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Plant height, effective tillers, panicle length, yield, yield contributing characters, qualitative characters were significantly influenced by spacing and nitrogen level of aromatic rice. The result showed that among three spacing, (25cm×15cm) spacing produced the highest number of total tillers hill-1 (17), effective tillers hill-1 (15.61), grains panicle-1 (155.5), the highest grain yield (2.379 t ha-1) was obtained. The lowest grain yield was recorded (1.989 t/ha) with (25cm×10cm) spacing. Among the level of nitrogen , significantly effective tillers (15) filled grains (162) grain yield ((2.5 t ha-1), harvest index (41.48 %) was obtained from 40kg N ha-1 although 34kg and 46 kg showed similar result in case of total tillers hill-1. The lowest grain yield (1.5 tha-1) was recorded with 34kg N ha-1. Result showed that (25cm×15cm) and 40 kg N ha-1 was the best combination to produce maximum yield of aromatic rice.

M. T. Azam,  M.  H.  Ali,  M. F. Karim,  A. Rahman, J. Jalal and A. F. M. Mamun

ABSTRACT
A field experiment was conducted at at the agronomy field of  Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during with the objectives to find out the Influence of different urea fertilizer application method on growth and yield of boro rice’. The experiment was carried out in split-plot design with three replications having three variety  viz. (i) V1 = ACI Hybrid dhan 1, (ii) V2 = BRRI dhan29 and  (iii) V3 = BRRI hybrid dhan2 in main plot and four urea application method viz. (i) T1 = 2.7 g size USG placement at 8  DAT, (ii) T2 =  1.8 g size USG placement at 8  DAT + Prilled urea plot−1 (75 g for V1 and V3 and 45 g for V2) at 30 DAT, (iii) T3 =1.8 g size USG placement at 8  DAT + foliar spray plot−1 (75 g for V1 and V3 and 45 g for V2) at 30 DAT and (iv) T4 = 0.9 g size USG placement at 8  DAT + Prilled urea plot−1 (37.5 g for V1  and V3 and 22.5 g V2) at 30 DAT + foliar spray plot−1 (37.5 g for V1  and V3 and 22.5 g for V2) at 50 DAT.  Result showed that variety and urea fertilizer application method had significant effect on plant height, tillers hill−1, dry weight hill−1, leaf area index, grain panicle−1, 1000 grain weight, grain yield, straw yield and harvest index.  BRRI hybrid dhan2 (V3) showed the highest plant height (108 cm), number of tillers hill−1 (23.98), dry weight hill−1 (84.14 g), leaf area index (7.12), grains panicle−1 (131.20), 1000 grain weight (26.12 g), grain  yield (4.79 t ha−1), straw yield (6.80 t ha−1), biological yield (11.6 t ha−1) and harvest index (41.25%) at harvest. With different methods of urea application T1 gave the highest number of tillers hill−1 (24.67), dry weight hill−1 (83.22 g), leaf area index (6.83), grains panicle−1 (128.2), 1000 grain weight (25.73 g), grain yield (4.67 t ha−1), straw yield (6.72 t ha−1), biological yield (11.39 t ha−1) and harvest index (40.66%).  With the combined effect of different boro rice variety and methods of urea application the highest number of tillers hill−1 (28.00 at harvest), dry weight hill−1 (90.59 g at harvest),  leaf area index (7.87 at harvest), grains panicle−1 (146.20), 1000 grain weight (26.79 g), grain yield (5.41 t ha−1), straw yield (7.20 t ha−1), biological yield (12.61 t ha−1) was at V3T1.  So, V3T1 (BRRI hybrid dhan2 × 2.7 g size USG placement at 8 DAT) was the best treatment under the present study.

Soil acidity and the associated low phosphorus availability and poor crop management practices are among the major factors constraining field pea productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia. The effect of phosphate fertilizer and weed control on yield and yield components of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) were studied on acidic Nitisols of farmers' fields of Welmera Woreda, West Shoa. Factorial combinations of four levels of phosphate fertilizer (0, 10, 20 and 30 kg P ha-1) as triple super-phosphate (TSP) and two levels of weeding (W 0 = no weeding and W 1 = hand weeding once) were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Results indicated that a highly significant positive response of plant height, number of pods per plant, total biomass and grain yields of field pea were noted to phosphate fertilizer and weeding treatments. Application of phosphate fertilizer at the rates of 10, 20 and 30 kg P ha-1 increased mean grain yields of field pea by 36, 67 and 57%, respectively compared to the control. Weeding once by hand increased mean grain yield of field pea by 15% compared to the unweeded check. The interaction between applied phosphate fertilizer and weed control (P×W) significantly affected field pea grain yield and total biomass. Grain yield was very significantly and positively correlated with plant height, number of pods per plant and total biomass (r = 0.59 ** , 0.68 *** and 0.94 *** , respectively). The results of economic analysis indicated that the treatment with application of 20 kg P ha-1 and weeding once during the 4 th week after sowing by hand was identified to be the best option with a marginal rate of return of 277%, well above the minimum acceptable rate of return of 100%, which is economically the most feasible alternative.

An experiment was carried out to examine the effectiveness of four different composts formulated from poultry (PM) and cowdung (CD) manures as primary constituents and two bulking agents namely sawdust (SD) and sorted refuse (SR) on some yield components of maize for two cropping seasons.
All compost mixtures were fortified with rock phosphate and urea. The compost treatments (PM/SD, PM/SR, CD/SD and CD/SR at ratio 3:1) were applied at 2.5 tonnes/ha, replicated three times with NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer applied at 300 kg/ha as reference treatment and a control (no compost, no
fertilizer), all arranged in a randomized complete design. The results showed that the composts significantly increased (P<0.05) all the maize yield components measured for the two cropping seasons.  The PM/SD and PM/SR produced a higher grain yield of 3326 and 3218 kg/ha, respectively, for the
first cropping season and 1603 and 2423 kg/ha, respectively, for the second season compared to the cowdung-based composts, i.e. CD/SD and CD/SR with a range of 3073 and 3044 kg/ha and 1440 and 2051 kg/ha grain yield for the first and second seasons respectively. The sawdust-bulking agent
performed better in the first cropping season producing a mean grain yield of 3200 kg/ha compared to
sorted refuse with 3131 kg/ha. The study showed that types of bulking agent and animal manure used determined plant refuse to fortified composts.

Nitrogen fertilizer practices affect nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural soils. The “4R” nutrient stewardship framework of using N fertilizer at the right rate, right source, right placement and right time can reduce N2O emissions while maintaining or improving yield of field crops, but understanding of how the various factors affect N2O emissions from irrigated processing potato is lacking. We examined the effects of selected 4R practices on emissions, using results from two irrigated processing potato studies each conducted in 2011 and 2012 in Manitoba, Canada. Experiment 1 examined combinations of source (urea, ESN), placement (pre-plant incorporation [PPI], banding), and rate (100 and 200 kg N ha-1) on a clay loam soil. Experiment 2 examined timing and source treatment combinations (urea PPI, ESN PPI, urea split, urea split/fertigation) on a loamy fine sandy soil. For Experiment 1, use of ESN at 200 kg ha-1 did not reduce area-, yield- and applied fertilizer N- based N2O emissions compared to urea at 200 kg ha-1, irrespective of placement. Emissions from pre-plant banding ESN at 200 kg ha−1, however, were 32% lower than from PPI ESN. For Experiment 2, compared to single pre-plant urea application, fertigation simulated by in-season application of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) gave lower area-, yield- and applied fertilizer N- based emissions. Split urea (  2/32/3  pre-plant,  1/31/3  hilling) also reduced area- and yield- based N2O emissions compared to single pre-plant urea application. Emissions were generally lower at the site with loamy fine sandy soil than the site with clay loam soil. These results demonstrate that combinations of “4R” practices rather than source alone are best to achieve reductions in N2O emissions from irrigated potato production.

Precision agriculture is a modern farming management concept using digital techniques to monitor and optimize agricultural production processes. The agroecological approach focuses on the interactions between plants, animals, soil organisms, people, and the environment. It aims to optimize the use of natural resources, enhance biological processes in the soil, and improve biomass, nutrient, carbon, and water cycles. The paper deals with the basic dependencies between some of the factors determining nutrient processes in the soil and the need for fertilizing crops with the main nutrients as components of precision agriculture. An approach to modeling is proposed that meets several requirements and criteria. Mathematical models for calculating fertilizer recommendations give the amounts of the following nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, required for the target yield on each particular field. Guidelines for improving and refining models for determining the need for fertilizers are given, taking into account all factors governing nutrient flows in the soil.

Variable rate technology offers a sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective solution for fertilizer application. A study was conducted to design and develop a variable rate fertilizer applicator to detect real-time deficiency of N within the field and apply it per requirement of the crop. The microcontroller system was designed to receive a signal from the N sensor and send a signal to the pulse-width-modulation valve to vary the rotational speed of the hydraulic motor resulting in variation in the rotation of the metering mechanism drive shaft based on the recommended amount of fertilizer. During the field study, three replications were conducted, each of which was divided into four plots. The response time between the N sensing and fertilizer discharging fell within the range of 3.49 to 4.90 s. Fertilizer applied using the developed variable rate applicator indicated that when the fertilizer rate is increased from N1 to N4 (kg ha−1), NDVI increased from 0.56 to 0.78 and drive sha...

In order to investigate the effect of different fertilizer systems on the accumulation and balance of macro and microelements in the soil and some morphological characteristics of wheat, in order to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and to determine the best level of treatments, this experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments include control (T1), manure (T2), vermicompost (T3), chemical fertilizers NPK (T4), vermicompost + nitroxin (T5), manure + nitroxin (T6), manure + chemical NPK (T7), were examined. The results showed that different nurturing systems were significant for all studied traits (P< 0.01). The use of manure combined with chemical fertilizers had a positive and significant effect on the economic yield of the grain at the rate of 3440 kg/ha so that it caused an increase of 87.71% compared to the control. The highest and lowest biomass yields with 9580 and 3890 kg were related to the treatment of chemical fertilizers and no fertilizer (control), respectively. In this study, chemical fertilizers increased plant height, grain weight per spike and spike weight per plant. The results of the process of changes in soil elements showed that chemical fertilizers had the highest amount of nitrogen (equal to 0.52%) compared to other treatments. Compared to the control, manure increased iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus in the soil by 15.03, 303, 9.16, 8.15, 2.26, and 10 ppm, respectively. The results of this study showed that the use of manure and integrated fertilizers have better results than other fertilizer treatments in increasing soil nutrients, which can be a good alternative to chemical fertilizers, in the direction of moving towards the principles of sustainable agriculture, while moving towards sustainable agriculture and they will reduce environmental pollution.

The present investigation was conducted at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara (Punjab) during rabi season (October 2017-April 2018). The experiment consisted of six treatments of different combination of spacing and nitrogen doses using garlic variety cv. PG-18 laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Two spacing S1 (15 cm × 10 cm), S2 (15 cm × 10 cm) and three nitrogen doses N1 (50 kg/ha), N2 (100 kg/ha), N3 (150 kg/ha) were used. Data on plant height, number of leaves per plant, maturity period, neck thickness of bulb, bulb diameter, fresh weight of bulb and bulb yield per hectare were recorded. Among all the treatments, the observed growth parameters viz., plant height was maximum in treatment S1 (34.27cm) and N3 (35.92cm), no. of leaves per plant was maximum in treatment S2 (6.08) and N2 (6.03) and earliness was found in S1 (138 DAS) and N2 (140 DAS), while interaction between spacing and nitrogen level was best in treatment S2N3 observed in plant height (36.16 cm) and combination S1N2 lead to earliness (136 DAS). Yield parameters viz., neck thickness of bulb was observed maximum in S1 (0.94cm) and N3 (0.91cm), bulb diameter was maximum in S1 (2.63cm) and N3 (2.55cm), fresh weight of bulb in treatment S1 (28.28g) and N2 (26.78g), bulb yield was recorded highest in S1 (6.89t/ha) and N2 (5.80t/ha), while interaction S1N3 was found best for yield parameters neck thickness (1.01cm), bulb diameter (2.82cm), fresh weight of bulb (29.86g) and bulb yield (7.05t/ha). On the basis of observation recorded for different parameters, it was concluded that S1N3 (15 cm x 10 cm with combination of 150kg nitrogen per hectare) treatment showed significant variation and found best with respect to quality and yield parameters.

A series of fertilization experiments were carried out in a subtropical environment of northwestern Argentina (province of Tucuman, 27°04’S-65°25’E) to determine optimum range of nitrogen fertilization for strawberries grown in a winterspring
production system. One study was conducted in 1999 on the cultivars ‘Camarosa’, ‘Cartuno’, ‘Chandler’, ‘Rosa Linda’, ‘Sweet Charlie’ and ‘Tudla-Milsei’. Two studies were conducted in 2000 on ‘Camarosa’, ‘Sweet Charlie’ and ‘Tudla-Milsei’. A fourth trial was run in 2001 on ‘Camarosa’ and ‘Tudla-Milsei’. Fresh-dug strawberry transplants were used in all the experiments. Cropping beds consisted of dripirrigated raised beds covered with black polyethylene mulch. Data show that nitrogen
fertilization in excess of 155 kg ha-1 is unnecessary. These results have both practical and environmental implications.

El programa anual de fertilización juega un papel importante en el manejo del huerto y de su eficiencia dependen, en gran medida, la producción y calidad de los frutos. Una fertilización balanceada considera la cantidad de nutrientes disponibles en el suelo, incluyendo los que utiliza el árbol para su desarrollo
y los que son removidos por la producción de fruto, lo que asegura el suministro adecuado de macro y micro elementos. El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar el efecto del programa de fertilización sobre los cambios en las variables relacionadas con la maduración y calidad de frutos de mango
‘Kent’, a partir de un experimento instalado en un huerto de comercial en Acaponeta, Nayarit, México, donde se aplicaron tres niveles de fertilización ((g árbol-1): normal (381 de N, 367 de P2O5, 296 de K2O, 688 de Ca, 84 de Mg, 14 de Fe, 9 de Mn, 5 de Zn y 45 de B), alta (50% más de cada elemento de la dosis normal) y control (sin fertilización). Las dosis de fertilización afectaron la concentración nutrimental del fruto. Se presentaron diferencias en los perfiles de la intensidad respiratoria, firmeza, sólidos solubles totales (SST), ácido
cítrico, ácido ascórbico y relación azúcar/ácido, asimismo, la presencia de nitrógeno en los niveles de fertilización normal y alta, aumentó la tonalidad verde del color de fondo de los frutos. Se concluyó que, la calidad y vida de anaquel de los frutos fue afectada por los niveles de fertilización aplicados.

Für die Verwendung von Harnstoff
als Dünger für Ackerkulturen sprechen
vor allem die deutlich geringeren Kosten. Mit Sachkenntnis der Düngerwirkung sind auch die Nachteile dieser Düngerform beherrschbar. Rasche
Einarbeit ung in den Boden oder rasch
folgende Niederschläge sind wichtige
Hilfen gegen Ammoniakverluste.

Weitere Hinweise zur N-Düngung
mit Harnstoff gibt es im Internet unter
www.ages.at/themen/umwelt/boden/boden-und-duengerbroschueren

Fertilization, a fundamental aspect of a plant’s life, has been of great concern for agricultural
specialists to minimize the yield gap between actual and potential yield. Around the globe, fertilizers
with different NPK ratios are being used to attain a better yield of grape. To find the suitable commer�cially available fertilizer for quality grape production, a 2 years (2017–2018) study was conducted for
the evaluation of 10 fertilizers with different NPK ratios. Commercial fertilizers included were Zhan�lan (16:16:16), Garsoni (15:15:15), Acron (16:16:16), Norway (21:7:12), Peters 1 (30:10:10), Nutrivant
(14:14:30), Peters 2 (20:20:20), UMAX (15:15:15), G2 (20:20:20), and Yara (15:15:15). The fertilizer
application rate was 20 g plant−1
, and each was applied at L-29, L-33, and L-36 phenological stages.
Chlorophylls, carotenoids, macro/micronutrients in leaf, and anthocyanin derivatives in grape peel
were evaluated. Expression levels of 24 genes, including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and
anthocyanin pathways in leaf, peel, and pulp were validated by qPCR at L-29, L-33, and L-36 stages.
Results indicated that Norway (21:7:12) and Peters 1 (30:10:10) increased carotenoids, chlorophylls,
and anthocyanins in leaves, while Zhanlan (16:16:16) improved fruit biochemical attributes, and
anthocyanin (cyanidin, delphinidin, petunidin, malvidin, peonidin, and pelargonidin contents).
However, a better grape yield was obtained by the application of Peters 1 (30:10:10). Potassium
pathway genes were upregulated by Nutrivant (14:14:30), phosphorous pathway genes by Peters 2
(20:20:20), and nitrogen pathway genes by Peters 1 (30:10:10), while Nutrivant (14:14:30) upregulated
anthocyanin pathway genes and simultaneously enhanced anthocyanin biosynthesis in berry peels.
Results of two years’ study concluded that Peters 1 (30:10:10) was proved better to increase yield,
while Zhanlan (14:14:30) was superior in improving anthocyanin biosynthesis

A field experiment was conducted during the two successive seasons of 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 at Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate (CLAC), Agricultural Research Centre, Dokki, Giza governorate, Egypt to study the effect of two green bean cultivars (Paulista and Samantha) and three rates of rock phosphate (fine and granules) as a natural resource of P mixed with sand substrate in comparison with calcium superphosphate with recommended level on growth and yield of green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under plastic house conditions. Regarding the green bean cultivars, Paulista gave higher plant height, number of leaves, canopy and root fresh and dry weight than Samantha cultivar. Paulista cultivar produced the highest values of total pod yield per plant during the two successive seasons. Increasing phosphorus level (fine or granule rock phosphate) up to 150% enhanced pod yield with both used cultivars. The highest vegetative growth and yield were obtained from 150% fine rock phosphate combined with Paulista cultivar. Tissue nutrient analysis show that increase phosphorus level by rock phosphate source led to increase nutrient percentage for NPK in green beans leaves in comparison with recommended phosphorus dose applied as calcium superphosphate. The economic consideration among phosphorus and different P sources revealed that fine rock phosphate with Paulista cultivar gave the highest net income per greenhouse.

The effects of tillage frequency, phosphorus fertilizer and weed control on yield and yield components of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) were studied in the 2003 and 2004 main cropping seasons on farmers fields in the Chelia and Welmera Districts of west Shewa, Ethiopia. Four levels of tillage frequency (T4 = April, May, early June and at planting; T3 = May, early June and at planting; T2 = May and at planting and T1= at planting) as main plots and factorial combinations of four levels of phosphorus fertilizer (0, 10, 20 and 30 kg P ha-1) and two levels of weeding (W1 = no weeding and W2 = hand weeding once) were arranged as sub-plots in split-plot design with three replications. The results indicated a highly significant positive response of mean field pea seed yield, total biomass and number of pods per plant to tillage frequency, phosphorus fertilizer and weeding treatments. Plowing twice, three and four times including the last pass for seed covering resulted in mean seed yield advantages of 38, 55 and 43%, respectively, compared to the control. Application of phosphorus fertilizer at the rates of 10, 20 and 30 kg P ha-1 increased mean seed yields by 30, 53 and 50%, respectively, compared to the control. Weeding once by hand increased mean seed yield by 16% compared to the unweeded check. Tillage frequency by P fertilizer and weed control interaction significantly affected seed yield. The highest mean seed yield of two years for the tillage, P fertilizer and weed control interaction was obtained from three plowings, 20 kg P ha-1 and weeding once by hand. The yield increment was higher by 232% compared to the control, namely planting with the first pass of ox-drawn implement, with no P application and unweeded condition. Seed yield was highly significantly and positively correlated with total biomass (r = 0.93 **), pods per plant (r = 0.54 **), plant height (r = 0.54 **), seeds per pod (r = 0.41 **) and thousand seeds weight (r = 0.37 **). The results of economic analysis indicated that the treatment with three times tillage, application of 20 kg P ha-1 and weeding once by hand is the best option with a marginal rate of return of 423%, which is economically the most feasible alternative.

A B S T R A C T Sustainable agriculture requires the careful optimization of the use of organic amendments to improve soil fertility while minimizing any harmful environmental effects. To understand the events that occur in soil after the addition of different organic amendments, we evaluated the nitrogen (N) mineralization dynamics in soil after adding organic amendments, and evaluated changes in the microbial population. The four organic amendments were fresh dairy cattle manure, fresh white clover, vegetable, fruit, and yard waste compost, and poplar tree compost. The N mineralization potential of each organic amendment was determined by analyzing total mineral nitrogen during a 97-day laboratory incubation experiment. Soils amended with clover released 240 mg N g À1 soil during the 97-day incubation, more than twice as much as that released from soils amended with manure or composts (76–100 mg N g À1 soil). At the end of the incubation, the net N mineralization in clover-amended soils was 54%, more than five times higher than that in soils amended with composts or manure (4%–9%). Nitrogen was mineralized faster in clover-amended soil (1.056 mg N g À1 soil day À1) than in soil amended with composts (0.361–0.417 mg N g À1 soil day À1). The microbial biomass carbon content was higher in clover-amended soil than in the soils amended with manure or composts. We monitored changes in the microbial population in amended soils by a phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. On day 97, there were higher concentrations of total PLFAs in soils with organic amendments (e.g., 14.41 nmol g À1 in clover-amended soil) than in control soil without amendments (9.84 nmol g À1). Bacteria (Gram-positive and Gram-negative), actinomycetes, and fungi were more abundant in clover-amended soils than soils amended with manure or composts. The N mineralization potential varied among the four organic amendments. Therefore, the timing of application and the type of organic amendment should be matched to the nutrient needs of the crop. ã 2016 Z. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

A field experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) Farm, Baradi, Meherpur during the period from January 2012 to May 2012 to find out the effects of prilled urea (PU) and urea super granule (USG) on nutrient contents of boro rice cv. BRRI dhan28. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. There were ten treatment combinations consisting of two forms of urea viz., PU and USG and five levels of each form (0, 110, 180, 240 and 300 kg ha-1). Besides, TSP, MOP, gypsum and zinc sulphate were applied @ 100, 70, 60 and 5 kg ha-1¬, respectively as basal dose. The contents of N, K, S and Ca in grain and N, P, S, Ca and Mg in straw were influenced significantly due to different treatments. The uptakes of N, P, K, S, Ca and Mg in grain and N, P, S, Ca and Mg in straw were expressively affected due to different treatments. USG240 and PU300 treatments showed the best performance for nutrient content and their uptake where the highest values were found in USG300. A positive and significant correlation was found between N and other nutrients in grain. The results suggest that urea super granule @ 240 kg ha-1 may be suitable for better quality of boro rice cv. BRRI dhan28 in the agroclimatic condition of the study area.

A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years to assess the efficiency of bio-fertilizers at two fertility levels on yield and economy of potato crop. Results revealed that application 100% recommended dose of nitrogen and phosphorus + Azotobacter and Phosphobacteria gave the maximum tuber yield which was closely followed by application of 75% recommended dose of nitrogen and phosphorus + Azotobacter and Phosphobacteria. However, both the treatments gave considerable net return indicating 25% saving of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. Among both the inoculants Bacillus cereus was found better than Bacillus subtillis in potato yield.

ABSTRACT A pipeline network that collects and transports animal wastes to a treatment plant (e.g., a digester) is an interesting alternative to vehicles (no traffic increase, -61.31% CO2 emissions, -42.46% energy consumption in the case study presented here). However, pipeline networks require careful design to minimise installation costs, costs that depend on pipe length more than diameter. The optimisation can therefore be modelled as a &amp;quot;Euclidian Steiner minimum tree&amp;quot; problem that can be solved by using Kruskal&amp;#39;s and Simpson&amp;#39;s algorithms respectively to delineate a preliminary minimum-spanning-tree path and to optimise the paths by introducing new bifurcation points. The presented case study involved 32 dairy farms belonging to a milk consortium in a 1000-km(2) area. The proposed procedure resulted in a network that extended 98.75 km. However, this was reduced to 97.47 km by introducing additional branching points (total length -1.30%, locally up to -8.54%). Another possibility for cost minimisation is to select farms based on their position. If only farms within 20 km from the centre were considered, the network length decreases to 69.25 km and was optimised to 67.97 km (-1.84%). Although the decreases achieved by optimisation were small, they fall within the estimated range (mu = 2.35%, sigma- = 1.24%) and correspond to 73 632 epsilon and 76 696 epsilon in investment savings. Economically speaking, selecting farms is more efficient with -30.15% of the investment and annual costs and -21.83% of the cost-per-mass-unit. The universality and versatility of the algorithms used makes the proposed approach suitable for designing piping networks in extended geographical areas.

Indonesia merupakan negara agraris yang menghasilkan berbagai komoditi pertanian. Salah satu hasil pertanian indonesia adalah jagung. Jagung merupakan salah satu komoditas strategis bagi Indonesia karena peranannya sangat penting, baik untuk kebutuhan pangan dan pakan maupun industri lainnya.. mempunyai peluang untuk dikembangkan karena kedudukannya sebagai sumber utama karbohidrat dan protein setelah beras. Di beberapa daerah di Indonesia, jagung dijadikan sebagai bahan pangan utama juga sebagai sumber bahan pakan ternak dan memiliki andil terbesar dibandingkan dengan bahan lain. Ternak ruminansia mengkonsumsi semua komposisi tanaman jagung yang dipakai sebagai pakan ternak. Peningkatan kebutuhan jagung dalam beberapa tahun terakhir ini tidak sejalan dengan peningkatan produksi dalam negeri.
Masalah utama penanaman jagung di lahan kering adalah kebutuhan air sepenuhnya tergantung pada curah hujan, bervariasinya kesuburan lahan dan adanya erosi yang mengakibatkan penurunan kesuburan lahan. Selain itu masalah lain di lahan kering adalah memiliki pH dan kandungan bahan organik yang rendah. Pemupukan merupakan masukan penting dalam pertumbuhan tanaman, khususnya dalam usaha tani masa kini yang padat teknologi. Tindakan pemupukan akan memberikan hasil yang optimal tergantung pada beberapa faktor, diantaranya takaran dan jenis pupuk. Takaran dan jenis pupuk ini banyak digunakan untuk mengkaji respon tanaman terhadap pemupukan. Evaluasi atau penilaian status hara tanah mutlak diperlukan untuk menentukan jenis dan jumlah unsur hara yang harus ditambahkan. Informasi mengenai status hara dapat digunakan untuk memutuskan apakah tanaman perlu dipupuk atau tidak. Evaluasi status hara yang baik akan menghasilkan rekomendasi pupuk yang tepat sehingga pemupukan dilakukan secara berimbang. Pemupukan berimbang berarti menyediakan semua unsur hara yang cukup sehingga menghasilkan pertumbuhan tanaman yang baik. Pemupukan bertujuan mengganti unsur hara yang hilang dan menambah persediaan unsur hara yang dibutuhkan tanaman untuk meningkatkan produksi dan mutu tanaman. Ketersediaan unsur hara yang lengkap dan berimbang yang dapat diserap oleh tanaman merupakan faktor yang menentukan pertumbuhan dan produksi tanaman

Наряду с отдельными факторами интенсификации сельского хозяйства
возрастающее применение удобрений иrрает важную роль в получении высоких стабильных урожаев и улучшении качества сельскохозяйственной продукции.
Только применение электронно-вычислительной техники дает возможность с доустимыми затратами времени провести учет многочисленных факторов, влияющих на применение удобрений. По этой причине, уже несколько лет в ряде стран-членов СЭВ с помощью Э.ВМ вычисляются рекомендации по внесению удо6рения с целью оптимального применения минеральных и орrанических удобрений под некоторые сельскохозяйственные культуры на отдельных площадях.
Составителы доклада: ГДР - Х. Анзорге; СССР - Т.И. Иванова, В.Н. Перегудов, Р.Г. Кравченко; НРБ - И. Гърбучев, М. Беневски, А. Садовски

This Study was conducted during October- March 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, seasons at Ministry of Agriculture green
house in Dongola, Northern Sudan, to investigate the effect of salinity levels (0,2,4,6,8,10 and12ds/m) and, 0, -75kg/ ha, -
150kg/ha and -225kg/ha NPK fertilizer on the total soluble solids (TSS)and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the plant
leaves of tomato in clay –loam soil. A randomized Complete Block Design (RCBO) with three replicates was used for laying out
the pot experiments. Immediately after the termination of the experiments fruits, and plant leaf samples were collected in both
seasons from each treatment to determine the amounts of total soluble solids (TSS)and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the
plant leaves. The results clearly indicated that (TSS), were significantly reduced with increasing salt concentration, whereas they
were significantly increased with increasing of NPK application rate. The results showed that the total soil nitrogen was very low,
whereas appreciable percentages were found in the leaves. There were significant differences between salt concentration and NPK
application rate,the N, P and K up taken by plants increased with an increase of NPK application rate and a decrease of salt
concentration In contrast both P and K in plant leaves decreased with increase in salt concentration and decreased NPK
application rate, portably due to their fixation in the soil.

A B S T R A C T Over the past decades, with increasing steel manufacturing, the huge amount of by-products (slags) generated need to be reused in an efficient way not only to reduce landfill slag sites but also for sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture. Our preliminary laboratory study revealed that compared to blast furnace slag, electric arc furnace slag and ladle furnace slag, the Linz-Donawitz converter (LD) slag markedly decreased CH 4 production rate and increased microbial activity. In the greenhouse experiment, the LD slag amendment (2.0 Mg ha −1) significantly (p < 0.05) increased grain yield by 10.3–15.2%, reduced CH 4 emissions by 17.8–24.0%, and decreased inorganic As concentrations in grain by 18.3–19.6%, compared to the unamended control. The increase in yield is attributed to the increased photosynthetic rates and increased availability of nutrients to the rice plant. Whereas, the decrease in CH 4 emissions could be due to the higher Fe availability in the slag amended soil, which acted as an alternate electron acceptor, thereby, suppressed CH 4 emissions. The more Fe-plaque formation which could adsorb more As and the competitive inhibition of As uptake with higher availability of Si could be the reason for the decrease in As uptake by rice cultivated with LD slag amendment.

Objective: Soil fertility status is an important factor for agricultural productivity and the economic livelihood of smallholder farmers in developing countries. Degradation of soil fertility status has adverse effects on the quality and profitability of agricultural produce. Appropriate use of fertilizer resources enhances crop yield, thus enhancing quality and profitability of crops. Methodology: In an attempt to evaluate the response of groundnut to fertilizer with respect to crop quality and profitability, an experiment a split plot Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications in 2015 at the Sokoine University of Agriculture Morogoro, Tanzania. Three improved groundnut genotypes (Mangaka, Masasi and Pendo) were used as main plot factor Fertilizer was applied at 0 kg ha, 55 kg P/ha as DiAmmonium Phosphate and 125 kg Ca/ha as Minjingu mazao. Groundnut kernel obtained from the treated plots were used to assess crop quality, including 100-kernel weight, crude protein and oil contents. Whereas Value cost ratio was used to determine the profitability of fertilizer use in groundnut production. Data was subjected to analysis of GENSTAT 14 th software and means separation were made using Least Significant Difference (LSD) at 5% significance level. Results: Results from the study showed significant effect of fertilizer and groundnut genotypes on crop quality and profitability. Genotype x fertilizer interactions showed significant influence of Minjingu on kernel size, protein and oil contents of all groundnut genotypes, whereas the application of P significantly influenced yield and profitability of groundnut. A VCR (>2.0) as obtained from the study is an indication that use of Phosphatic and calcium fertilizers enhances crop quality, hence profitability of groundnut. Conclusion: Further research involving higher P and Ca rates and treatment combination in multi-locational trials is suggested.

The aim of this research was to evaluate two traditional N sources (urea and ammonium sulfate) and an alternative one (sulfamoo) with increasing rates (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg N ha-1, respectively) affecting aspects of upland rice crop cv. IAPAR 117. The experiment was carried out in greenhouse conditions, using a completely randomized design in 3x4 factorial scheme, with four replicates. It was evaluated the number of tillers (NT), plant mean height (PMH), dry matter of shoots (DMS), crop yield/mass of filled grains (MFG), content of N-DMS, agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AE), mass of 100 filled grains (M100FG) and grain harvest index (GHI). The nitrogen rates application as ammonium sulfate resulted in a greater increasing of NT, DMS, MFG and N-DMS, respectively. In fact, higher
agronomic efficiency obtained with urea and sulfamooâ
at 40 kg N. ha-1, although AE decreased within the higher
rates of N, independently from the source. The M100FG and GHI were higher when sulfamooâ and urea were
used, although the high N supply negatively affected these two variables for all N evaluated sources.

Soil degradation and nutrient depletion have become serious threat to agricultural productivity in
Nigeria. Substantial improvement in the systems is required to support the ever-increasing rural
and urban population. During the 2013 and 2014 cropping season, field experiments were
conducted to evaluate the effect of combined application of NPK fertilizer and Biosoil conditioner on
yield and growth of maize at Kilankwa (longitude 6.79316E, latitude 8.70545N) in Abuja, Nigeria.
This experiment was done as a randomized complete block design with three replications. The
treatments were T1 (300 kgNPK/ha); T2 (300 kgNPK/ha + 1 tablet of Biosoil conditioner in 50 litres
of water); T3 (1 tablet of Biosoil conditioner in 50 litres of water) and T4 (control). Soil samples
were collected for the determination of chemical and physical properties before planting. Data ongrowth parameters (plant height and number of leaves) and yield (fresh cob weight) were also
collected and subjected to 2 ways Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) and means separated with Least
Significant Difference (LSD) at P=0.05.
The study revealed that during dry season of 2013 cropping system, application rate of 300 kg
NPK/ha + 1 tablet of Biosoil conditioner in 50 litres of water had the highest fresh cob weight (6.0
t/ha), followed by 300 Kg NPK/ha only (5.1 t/ha), 1 tablet of Biosoil conditioner only (3.2 t/ha) and
control (2.3 t/ha) respectively. The field evaluation also showed that combined application rate of
300 kgNPK/ha + 1 tablet of Biosoil conditioner in 50 litres of water /ha produced the highest
number of leaves (13) and plant height (251 cm) compared to the least value of 10 and 123 cm
respectively as obtained in the control.
Similarly in the 2014 wet season, the same trend as in the 2013 was obtained with the application
rate of 300 kg NPK/ha+1 tablet of Biosoil conditioner in 50 litres of water had the highest fresh cob
weight (10.9 t/ha), followed by 300 Kg NPK/ha only (9.0 t/ha), 1 tablet of Biosoil conditioner only
(7.4 t/ha) and control (3.0 t/ha) respectively.
It can be concluded that the combined application of 300 kgNPK/ha and 1 tablet of Biosoil
conditioner in 50 litres gave the highest values for growth and yield than the sole application of
either NPK or Biosoil conditioner.

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of plant beneficial bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) with combinations of NPK green fertilizers on the growth of pegaga (Centella asiatica). Six treatments (6) were designed in this study:-1) without plant beneficial bacteria and NPK fertilizer (control), 2) 10 g/ L of plantbac, 3) NPK fertilizer, 4) NPK fertilizer and 8g/L of plantbac, 5) NPK fertilizer and 10 g/L of plantbac and, 6) NPK fertilizer and 12 g/L of plantbac. The nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in the leaf, petiole and root were increased after incoporation of plant beneficial bacteria and NPK green fertilizer in the soil media. Similarly, fresh weight (FW), root length (RL) and root volume (RV) recorded also greater than the control set. The usage of plantbac either with or without incorporation of NPK potentially to be promoted for sustainable pegaga cultivations. The best treatments were recorded as follows:-NPK fertilizer and 12 g/L (T6) > NPK fertilizer and 10 g/L of plantbac (T5) > NPK fertilizer and 8g/L of plantbac (T4) > NPK fertilizer only (T3) > 10 g/ L of plantbac only (T2) > without plant beneficial bacteria and NPK fertilizer (T1).