Phenology, Crop Stand, and Dry Matter Production of Wheat in Response to Beneficial Microbes and Organic Matter Sources
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Adding organic matter to soil proved an efficient strategy for restoring soil fertility and improving crop dry matter – an indicator of yield potential. In this regard, evaluating the sources of organic matter (OM) (control, poultry manure [PM], farmyard manure [FYM], compost, and mungbean residues [MR]) to provide 120 kg N ha-1 and effective microbes (EM) (0, 100, 200, and 300 L ton-1 of OM) as 2% solution proceeded in field conditions during 2017–2019. The sowing of wheat seeds (cv. Pirsabak 2015) at 120 kg ha-1 took place in the field using RCB design with four replications. Results showed that PM/FYM had delayed the phenology and improved the biomass-related parameters, dry matter (DM) accumulation, and crop growth rate (CGR) more than compost and MR. However, the results were more pronounced when applied with 300 L EM ton-1 of OM from the PM. The maximum DM (55%) accumulation in plant parts occurred beyond 100 days after sowing (DAS). A marked increase in DM and CGR beyond 60 DAS and a reduction in CGR beyond 120 DAS appeared irrespective of treatments. In the case of EM, the 300 L ton-1 revealed superior in terms of growth, DM accumulation, CGR, and delayed phenology. Structural equation modeling suggested that DM production gained a direct effect from crop phenology (46.1%) and crop stand (30.4%) but no indirect effect from crop growth (24.8%). In conclusion, the 300 L EM ton-1 of OM applied to PM or FYM had improved the crop stand, development, and DM production in wheat.
Institution: The University of Agriculture, Peshawar
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4367554871