Soil properties of Vertisol and yield of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) as influenced by integrated use of organic manures, inorganic and bio-fertilizers.
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: A field experiment was conducted during 2002-04 to study the effect of integrated supply of organic manures, inorganic fertilizers and biofertilizers on soil properties and yield of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) grown on Vertisol. The treatments were application of farmyard manure, vermicompost, wheat straw and green manuring with sannhemp alone or along with inorganic or bio-fertilizers. All organic manurial treatments were highly effective to improve the physical properties of soil, farmyard manure to meet 100% N being the best. Application of wheat straw along with inorganic fertilizer was equally effective, especially for infiltration characteristics of soil. Combined application of various organic manures to meet 50% N along with 50% of NPK and bio-fertilizers recorded significant increase in available N, P and K content in the soil with maximum fruit yields. Considerable increase of available Zn and Mn was observed with farmyard manure application and of Fe with vermicompost application alone or in combinations with inorganic fertilizers. Correlation studies indicated that primarily available N (r = 0.625), available K (r = 0.471) and available P (r = 0.335) contributed to fruit yield while micronutrients as available Mn (r = 0.306), available Fe (r = 0.290) and available Zn (r = 0.229) and physical properties as cumulative infiltration (r = 0.260), infiltration rate (r = 0.227) and maximum water-holding capacity (r = 0.225) play a supportive role in augmenting the quantum of fruit yield.
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W91854342