Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Hadi Ahmadian; Shiva Khalesro; Gholamreza Heidari
Abstract
Introduction: A decline in soil organic matter is a key facet of soil degradation, leading to the loss of soil fertility and the capacity to produce crops. The intensive use of synthetic inorganic inputs, such as chemical fertilizers, has resulted in soil organic matter depletion, groundwater contamination, ...
Read More
Introduction: A decline in soil organic matter is a key facet of soil degradation, leading to the loss of soil fertility and the capacity to produce crops. The intensive use of synthetic inorganic inputs, such as chemical fertilizers, has resulted in soil organic matter depletion, groundwater contamination, air pollution, and reduced production quality in arid and semi-arid regions. Therefore, sustainable techniques, such as organic fertilizers and natural inputs, are becoming increasingly important to enhance soil organic matter and plant yield in sustainable agricultural systems. The use of organic fertilizers and soil amendment like biochar and wood vinegar can significantly improve soil organic matter. Much of the world's interest in biochar stems from the worsening condition of agricultural soils and the depletion of water resources. Additionally, biochar has attracted researchers’ interest mainly due to its long-term soil carbon sequestration potential, role in greenhouse gas mitigation, phytoremediation, and ability to improve soil fertility. Biochar and wood vinegar can be made from various biomass materials/residues such as wood waste, crop and refinery residues, animal manures, and municipal wastes. Biofertilizers also play a vital role in sustainable agriculture systems. Mycorrhiza is one of the most important biofertilizers. Mycorrhizal associations help plants obtain water and nutrients in dry and nutrient-poor conditions by increasing the root surface area for water and nutrient uptake. Castor bean (Ricinus commonis L.) is a valuable annual herb belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family. It is an important oilseed crop widely used in industry and medicine today. Numerous studies have underlined the beneficial effects of organic fertilizers on soil fertility and crop yield. However, no study has evaluated the impact of organic fertilizer, biochar, wood vinegar, and mycorrhiza on Ricinus commonis L. This research aims to discover the main effects and interactions of these treatments on the quantitative and qualitative traits of Ricinus commonis L.Materials and Methods: The field experiment was conducted at the Research Field at the University of Kurdistan (35° 19' N, 47° 18' E) during 2022 growing season. The research was designed as a factorial experiment using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatment included five fertilizer types: control, organic fertilizer (800 kg ha-1), biochar (3000 kg ha-1), wood vinegar (90 kg ha-1) and chemical fertilizer (urea 200 kg ha-1, and TSP 100 kg ha-1). Additionally, two mycorrhiza levels (Rhizophagus irregularis) were tested: no-inoculation and inoculation. Each experimental plot consisted of six rows, each 6 meters long and spaced 75 cm apart. The seeds were sown on 10 May 2020. Agronomic traits such as plant height, number of capsules per plant, and 1000-seed weight were randomly measured from five plants at full maturity in each plot. In the center rows of each plot, 2.25 m2 of area was harvested at the end of each growing season to evaluate biological and seed yield. Other studied traits included harvest index, seed oil content, seed oil yield, and the nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium concentration of the seeds.Results and Discussion: The results showed that the effect of mycorrhiza inoculation on the plant height, capsules number per plant, seed number per plant, and 1000-seed weight was significant. Furthermore, the fertilizer impact on the mentioned traits except of 1000-seed weight was significant. Organic fertilizer, biochar, wood vinegar, and chemical fertilizer significantly increased the capsules number per plant. The highest number of capsules per plant and seed number per plant belonged to the organic fertilizer. Mycorrhiza inoculation enhanced the seed number per plant and 1000-seed weight by 16% and 23% compared to control, respectively. the interaction effects of different fertilizers and mycorrhiza inoculation improved the quantitative and qualitative traits of castor bean. The highest biological yield (3650.2 g/m2), seed oil content (50.5 %), and oil yield (588.3 g/m2) were observed in the integrated treatment of organic fertilizer and mycorrhiza inoculation. This treatment increased seed and biological yield by 36.5% and 24% compared to control, respectively. Mycorrhiza can enhance plant growth and yield by increasing the supply of phosphorus to the host plant. Mycorrhizal plants can absorb and accumulate several times more phosphate from the soil or solution than non-mycorrhizal plants. Organic fertilizer and biochar positively affected the morphological characteristics. Biochar reduces water consumption and improves soil properties under drought conditions. Compared to other amendment materials, biochar has the benefit of a large surface area and pore spaces, allowing it to absorb and retain water. The highest seed nitrogen and potassium content was observed in the organic fertilizer treatment. Organic fertilizers may promote root development by retaining more water and nutrients in the soil, secreting more plant hormones, and increasing the amount of inorganic material such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that plants can absorb.Conclusion: Therefore, it can be said that the integrated application of organic and biofertilizers not only improve the quantitative and qualitative traits of Ricinus commonis L. but also could be a key strategy in sustainable agricultural systems by reducing the consumption of chemical fertilizers.
Parisa Khajeh; Mina Taghizadeh
Abstract
Introduction Sansevieria trifasciata is a perennial plant from the liliaceae family, which originates from tropical and semi-tropical regions of the world. Sansevieria trifasciata variateis are one of the most popular ornamental indoor plants due to having types with striped leaves. Today, conventional ...
Read More
Introduction Sansevieria trifasciata is a perennial plant from the liliaceae family, which originates from tropical and semi-tropical regions of the world. Sansevieria trifasciata variateis are one of the most popular ornamental indoor plants due to having types with striped leaves. Today, conventional propagation methods are not adequate to meet the marketable requests of Sansevieria trifasciata due to the slow growth of cutting. So, it is conceivable to use rooting and growth stimulator agents. This study aimed to investigate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza and biochar application on some morphophysiological parameters in Sansevieria trifasciata var. cuttings.Materials and Methods This research was conducted in the greenhouse of the faculty of agriculture and environmental science of Arak University with controlled conditions of 25 ◦C, 70% humidity and 10,000 lux of light. The effect of biochar application (5 and 10%) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus etunicatum, Glomus intraradices, Glomus mossea) (6 and 12%) was investigated on propagation and growth of Sansevieria trifaciata var. Laurentii and Sansevieria trifaciata var. Moonshine cutting. The experiment was conducted as factorial an in a completely randomized design at three replicates. The leaf cutting with V-shape end were keep on the lab condition for two days to callus initiation of wound surface. Subsequiently, healed cutting were cultured in pots that were containing cocopeat-perlite and different treatments of arbuscular mycorrhiza and biochar. Morphological and physiological traits were measuremed after 8 months of cultivation, which were included rooting and bud stimulation time, roots number and length, length of the longest root, buds number, length, anddiameter, the amount of cutting rot, the number of leaves, the size of callus based on the rating of 1 to 3, fresh weight (FW) of roots and leaves, the dry weight (DW) of roots and leaves, relative water content (RWC), electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll pigment. Arbuscular mycorrhizal root colonization was determinded by grid-line intersect method. Results and Discussion The results showed that the application of 10% biochar in culture bed had an increasing effect on leaf number, root biomass percentage, root colonization percentage and leaf dry weight in both cultivars but also caused to increase the decay rate of the cuttings of these two cultivars. Application of 6% arbuscular mycorrhizal fingi increased the number of buds, root colonization and bud motivation time, and led to decrease leaf biomass and cuttings rot percentage. The root colonization decreased at lower application level of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and biochar. The maximum root colonization (80%) was observed in the culture medium with 10% biochar and 12% arbuscular mycorrhiza. The application of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the medium of Sansevieria trifaciata cuttings directed to an increase in the biomass compared to the control. The amount of leaf electrolyte leakage of leaf was higher (28.37%) by application of 10% biochar in the culture bed compared with the cuttings treated with 5% biochar and control. Plants from the cuttings grown in the bed containing 10% biochar and 6% mycorrhizal inoculum had the highest number of leaves (2.83). It was approximately two folds compared to the control. The leaf electrolyte leakage was higher (28.37%) than the plants obtained from the cuttings treated with 5% biochar and control by application of 10% biochar. The total chlorophyll content of the leaf in both cultivars increased significantly with the application of different concentrations of biochar compared to the control. Biochar application influenced on microbial biomass through altering the soil porosity, soil moisture and temperature. Also, biochar stimulated plant growth through the positive effects on microbial population. These results suggested that the applications of biochar at an appropriate proportion could change plant growth and microbial community.Conclusion Biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi by establishing a symbiotic relationship between fungus and root, stimulated rooting growth. These treatments were able to root in different cultivars of Sansevieria trifaciata propagation. Root colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was depended on the variety of plant. The applied treatments showed more impact on morphological and physiological traits in Sansevieria trifaciata var. Moonshine than that in Sansevieria trifaciata var. Laurentii cultivar. The rotting of Sansevieria trifaciata var. Laurentii cuttings was more than that of the Sansevieria trifaciata var. Moonshine. The best treatment for Sansevieria trifaciata variateis cuttings was application of 5% biochar and 6% arbuscular mycorrhiza and cultured in cocopeat-perlite bed.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Hananeh Bahmaniyan; Habibollah Nadian Ghomsheh; Nafiseh Rang Zan
Abstract
Introduction With limited arable land available around the word, some ways can be used to increase the production per unit area to meet the increasing human need for food. In addition to quantity, consideration of quality of products can lead to improve communities’ health. So, in the last few ...
Read More
Introduction With limited arable land available around the word, some ways can be used to increase the production per unit area to meet the increasing human need for food. In addition to quantity, consideration of quality of products can lead to improve communities’ health. So, in the last few decades, application of organic and bio fertilizers has been taken into account in order to increase quantity of products as well as their quality. Mycorrhiza fungi are the most abundant microorganisms in the soil and are considered as essential factor in sustainable soil-plant system. The use of existing organic and inorganic fertilizers may stimulate the Mycorrhiza-plant root symbiosis and ensure the supply of nutrients to the plant for sustainable production. Filtercake is a main byproduct of sugarcane industry which is obtain during the processing of sugarcane syrup. Filtercake can be transformed into the valuable source of nutrients by biodegradation processes. Many studies have suggested that the use of fertilizers along with Mycorrhiza, especially phosphorous fertilizers, has negative effects on fungi symbiosis with plant root. Regarding this issue, the question arises that due to richness of Filtercake of organic matter, nutrients and microorganisms, is the Mycorrhiza interdependency affected by the addition of this organic manure to the soil? In order to answer this question, the present study was conducted to investigatethe interaction effect of Mycorrhiza(Glomus Intraradices)andFiltercake on coriander (Coriandrum Sativum L.) production. Materials and Methods In order to study the interaction effect of Filtercake and Mycorrhiza on the coriander production, a pot experiment was conducted in factorial completely randomized design with consideration of Mycorrhiza fungi (Glomus Intraradices) treatments at two levels of non-inoculation (m1) and inoculation with Mycorrhiza (m2), Filtercake in three levels of zero (f1), 1.5 (f2) and 3 wt.% (f3) with coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) as experimental plant in 4 replicates in the greenhouse of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan during 2017-2018. Twelve weeks after sowing plants were harvested and considered parameters were measured. Data analysis was performed using SAS. Comparison of the meanings was performed using Duncan's test at 5% level. Excel were used to draw charts and graphs. Results and Discussion The highest plant height and root length were observed in treatment consist of Mycorrhiza and 3% Filtercake. Same trend was observed in case of aboveground (cilantro) and root dry weight. The presence of organic matter, increasing of quasi-hormonal activity and improvement of physical, chemical and biological properties of soil are among the factors that provide favorable conditions for vegetative growth and, as a result, increase plant yield. The application of Mycorrhiza increases concentrations of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in cilantro, at about 103, 40, 16 and 12 percent, respectively, which are about 11, 105 and 31 percent in case of iron, zinc and copper. Mycorrhiza has a positive effect on the nutrients content in plant, which can be attributed to increased absorption through the fungal hyphae and also to the enrichment of the plant's rhizosphere. The concentration of nutrients in cilantro was significantly increased due to increase in Filtercake level. Since most of the nutrients in the soil are immobilized, the addition of Mycorrhiza fungi can help to improve nutrient uptake by increasing the volume of root access and stimulating the mineralization processes. Application of Filtercake along with Mycorrhiza improves the biological status of the fungi. Increasing the level of the Filtercake from 0 to 3 percent increases colonized Root length, Mycorrhiza interdependency and colonization percent by 51, 22 and 28 percent, respectively. According to the results, the use of Filtercake not only does not reduce the Mycorrhiza indices, but also increases them and act as a key factor for encouraging symbiosis of fungi and plant, so contribute to the enhancement of plant growth parameters. Conclusion In most of the studied characteristics, the maximum amount were observed in the treatment containing 3% Filtercake and Mycorrhiza. So, the simultaneous application of Filtercake and Mycorrhiza increased the growth parameters of the coriander. Although both of treatments (Filtercake and Mycorrhiza) have been effective in increasing the concentration of essential elements in aboveground part of plant, the effect of Mycorrhiza on increasing the concentration of phosphorus and zinc is greater than its effect on other elements, which is for iron and copper in case of Filtercake. The use of organic manure, such as Filtercake, even with high nutrient content, cannot affect the Mycorrhiza interdependency and other colonization indices due to the low release rate of these elements into the soil environment. It seems that the combination of Mycorrhiza and Filtercake by increasing the microbial and enzymatic activities in the soil and the separate application of Mycorrhiza and Filtercake by improving the access ability of the nutrients leads to provide better growth of the plant.