Farmyard Manure: A Boon for Integrated Nutrient Management

In the present review, farmyard manure is explained as a perfect source of nutrients for plant growth as well as for soil microbiota. It is one of the efficient and effective organic manures. It can provide organic matter to soil microbes as a source of carbon. An increase in microbial population leads to the degradation of pesticides and heavy metals to less harmful compounds. In addition to it, ions of harmful elements get adsorb on organic colloids and become immobile in soil. Application of farmyard manure not only increases the availability of nutrients in the soil but also improves the soil properties like soil structure, water holding capacity, bulk density, cation exchange capacity, etc. Studies revealed that farmyard manure is an excellent organic manure for sustaining good soil health along with achieving desired food production.

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Organic based integrated nutrient management scheme enhances soil carbon storage in rainfed rice (Oryza sativa) cultivation

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr17287 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (8) ◽

pp. 894

Author(s):

Parijat Saikia ◽

Kushal Kumar Baruah ◽

Satya Sundar Bhattacharya ◽

Chandrima Choudhury

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Management ◽

Farmyard Manure ◽

Soil Health ◽

Cow Dung ◽

Subtropical Climate ◽

Organic C ◽

Soil C ◽

C Storage ◽

Management Schemes ◽

Soil C Storage

Soil organic carbon (C) management in agricultural fields can act improve soil health and productivity. However, reports on the C release pattern and the interactive effects of plant physiological parameters on soil C storage from subtropical regions of the world where rice is cultivated as a dominant food crop are inadequate. The interactions between plant metabolism, soil C storage, and organic-based nutrient management schemes have been little studied. Hence, a study was undertaken in rainfed winter rice to evaluate the effects of different levels of organics (crop residue (CR) and farmyard manure (FYM)) along with inorganic (NPK) inputs in an alluvial soil. The experiment was conducted in a typical humid subtropical climate in north-eastern India. The CR of the preceding rice crop (pre-monsoon) and cow dung based FYM were used as organic inputs for monsoon rice, which were applied in various combinations with inorganic fertilisers. We studied the influence of these selected nutrient management schemes on soil health attributes, C storage, and plant parameters. The highest gain in C storage (11.65%) was in soil under 80% NPK + CR (5 t ha–1) + FYM (10 t ha–1) treatment. Correspondingly, significant improvement (P < 0.05) in total C, dissolved organic C, and nitrogen availability in soil was evident under this treatment leading to augmentation of soil organic matter status and the net amount of sequestered C in soil after two years of rice cultivation. Such improvements resulted in greater flag leaf photosynthesis, biomass accumulation, and grain yield than the conventionally managed crops. Overall, this research showcases that organic-dominated nutrient management not only restored soil health but was also able to compensate 20% of the recommended NPK fertilisation without penalty on crop yield.

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Soil Health Assessment of Two Regenerative Farming Practices on Sandy Soils

Sustainable Agriculture Research ◽

10.5539/sar.v8n4p61 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 61

Author(s):

Nan Xu ◽

Jehangir H. Bhadha ◽

Abul Rabbany ◽

Stewart Swanson

Keyword(s):

Cation Exchange ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Active Carbon ◽

Cation Exchange Capacity ◽

Soil Health ◽

Sandy Soils ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Farming Practices ◽

Cover Cropping ◽

Water Holding

The addition of organic amendments and cover cropping on sandy soils are regenerative farming practices that can potentially enhance soil health. South Florida mineral soils present low soil quality due to their sandy texture and low organic matter (OM) content. Few studies have focused on evaluating the effects of farm-based management regenerative practices in this region. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in soil properties associated with two regenerative farming practices - horse bedding application in combination with cover cropping (cowpea, Vigna unguiculata), compared to the practice of cover cropping only for two years. The soil quality indicators that were tested included soil pH, bulk density, water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, OM, active carbon, soil protein and major nutrients (N, P, K). Results indicated no significant changes in soil pH, but a significant reduction in soil bulk density and a significant increase in maximum water holding capacity for both practices. Cation exchange capacity and the amounts of active carbon increased significantly after 1.5-year of the farming practices. Horse bedding application with cover cropping showed a significant 4% increase in OM during a short period. A significant increase in plant-available P was also observed under these two practices. Based on this study, horse bedding application as an organic amendment in conjunction with cover cropping provides an enhanced soil health effect compared to just cover cropping. As local growers explore farming option to improve soil health particularly during the fallow period using regenerative farming practices on sandy soils, these results will assist in their decision making.

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Integrated Weed and Nutrient Management Improve Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Economics of Maize in the Rice-Maize Cropping System of Eastern India

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10121906 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1906

Author(s):

Dibakar Ghosh ◽

Koushik Brahmachari ◽

Marian Brestic ◽

Peter Ondrisik ◽

Akbar Hossain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weed Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

N Uptake ◽

Farmyard Manure ◽

Maximum Yield ◽

Soil Health ◽

Production Costs ◽

Partial Substitution ◽

Maize Grain

Increasing productivity of maize while decreasing production costs and maintaining soil health are emerging challenges for the rice–maize system in South Asia. A range of integrated nutrient and weed management practices were tested in winter maize for their effects on yield, profitability, and soil health. The nutrient management treatments were a partial substitution of nitrogen with bulky (Farmyard manure; vermicompost) and concentrated organic manures (Brassicaceous seed meal, BSM; neem cake), whereas weed management practices compared chemical controls only versus an integrated approach. The N supplementation through BSM diminished the weed growth by reducing weed N uptake, and enhanced the maize crop uptake of nutrients. As compared to the sole chemical approach, atrazine-applied pre-emergence followed by hoeing reduced weed density by 58 and 67% in years 1 and 2, respectively. The N supplementation through BSM resulted in the maximum yield of maize grain (6.13 and 6.50 t ha−1 in year 1 and year 2, respectively) and this treatment increased yield in year 2 compared to N application through synthetic fertilizer. Hoeing in conjugation with herbicide enhanced the maize grain yield by 9% over herbicide alone. The maximum net return and economic efficiency were achieved with the application of BSM for N supplementation, together with the integrated weed management practice.

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Evidence of Soil Health Benefits of Flooded Rice Compared to Fallow Practice

Sustainable Agriculture Research ◽

10.5539/sar.v7n4p31 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 31 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jehangir Bhadha ◽

Raju Khatiwada ◽

Salvador Galindo ◽

Nan Xu ◽

Jay Capasso

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Cation Exchange ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Cation Exchange Capacity ◽

Soil Health ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Rice Cultivation ◽

Flooded Rice ◽

Water Holding

Flooded rice (Oryza sativa L.) in south Florida is grown commercially in rotation with sugarcane and vegetables. From 2008 to 2018, rice production has doubled. During the spring-summer, nearly 200 km2 of fallow sugarcane land is available for rice production. In 2017, approximately 113 km2 of rice were planted in the region. The net value of growing rice as a rotation crop far exceeds its monetary return. This study evaluated soil health parameters before and after rice cultivation and compared them against two other common summer farming practices - fallow fields and flooded-fallow. The soil health parameters that were tested as part of this study included soil pH, bulk density, water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, organic matter, active carbon and nutrient content. Results indicated an increase in soil pH, and a significant reduction in soil bulk density due to rice cultivation. Water holding capacity increased significantly under all flooded land use practices compared to fallow fields. Cation exchange capacity significantly increased when sugarcane fields were cultivated with rice and ratoon rice, nearly doubled from 58 to 101 cmolc kg-1. Small, yet significant 3% increase in organic matter was observed when sugarcane fields were cultivated with ratoon rice. Almost 16 g kg-1 of active C is being generated within fallow soils, whereas less than half that under flooded practices, limiting the amount of soil loss via oxidation. Based on the soil health index, rice cultivation and flooded-fallow improved overall soil quality compared to fallow lands.

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Impact of Dairy Wastewater Irrigation and Manure Application on Soil Structural and Water-Holding Properties

Transactions of the ASABE ◽

10.13031/trans.14351 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

pp. 857-868

Author(s):

Taylor C. Pinkerton ◽

Amjad T. Assi ◽

Valentini A. Pappa ◽

Eunsung Kan ◽

Rabi H. Mohtar

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Food Production ◽

Management Practices ◽

Soil Health ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

Wash Water ◽

Aggregate Structure ◽

Waste Reuse ◽

Available Water ◽

Water Holding

HighlightsQuantitative evaluation was performed of dairy waste on soil water-holding capacity.Considering the soil variability on a farm is significant for management practices.Soil aggregate structure plays a pivotal role in studying the impact of waste reuse.Abstract. The livestock sector contributes about 40% of global agricultural output and uses over 30% of total feed-crop land. The sector’s continuing growth has led to increased technology and larger-scale, commercialized agriculture, and it correlates to growth in by-products and waste, which can compromise the environment and human health. Although organic manure is an excellent soil fertilizer whose nutrient content increases crop yield, untreated and/or overapplied manure pollutes local water resources and can alter soil aggregate structure, potentially affecting soil health and available water. Proper livestock waste management is essential for sustainable food production. Waste reuse strategies exist, with goals such as minimizing freshwater consumption, improving food production, and contributing to energy production, However, each strategy has tradeoffs in environmental, energy, or monetary costs. This study provides a quantitative approach to evaluating waste impact on soil health and helps to better manage irrigation practices and water supply gaps in arid and semi-arid areas by better understanding how management practices affect physical soil health. The TypoSoil apparatus was used to measure and analyze the hydrostructural parameters (water-holding capacity and soil structure) of fine sandy loam (A horizon) and sandy clay (B horizon). Soils from the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Dairy (Stephenville, Texas) were collected and compared with control (untouched) soils. Waste (manure, bedding materials, wash water) was separated into liquid (passed through a natural lagoon treatment process) and solid components (applied as fertilizer). Approximately half the wastewater was reused as wash water, the remainder for irrigation. Although the soil varied substantially between sample locations, a statistically significant difference existed between the control and manure/wastewater applications in both the A and B horizons. Both applications improved plant-available water (AW) in the A horizon (40% and 30%, respectively) but deteriorated AW in the B horizon (25% and 30%). Thus, dairy farm waste is a viable source for agricultural use. Keywords: Available water capacity, Pedostructure, Soil health, Soil shrinkage curve, Soil water characteristic curve.

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Effect of Integration of Fertilizers and FYM on Productivity and Soil Health of Rainfed Potato

Journal of AgriSearch ◽

10.21921/jas.v4i1.7414 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

S. K. YADAV ◽

A. K. SRIVASTAVA ◽

T. K. BAG

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Management ◽

Block Design ◽

Soil Health ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Recommended Dose ◽

Research Station ◽

Yield Attributes ◽

Hill Region ◽

North Eastern ◽

Synthetic Fertilizers

A field trial was conducted during two consecutive summer seasons of2012 and 2013 at ICAR-Central Potato Research Station, Shillong, Meghalaya to evaluate the integration of nutrient sources on productivity and soil health under rainfed potato cultivation in north eastern hill region of India. There were six treatments of integrated nutrient management viz., 100% Recommended dose of fertilizers,75% RDF through synthetic fertilizers and 25% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through FYM, 50% RDF and 50% RDN through FYM, 25% RDF and 75% RDN through FYM, 100% RDN through FYM and control (no application of any sources of nutrients). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications. Nutrient management practices showed the significant improvement on growth and yield attributes of potato over control plot. Highest productivity of potato tubers (t/ha) was noticed with application of 75% RDF through synthetic fertilizers along with 25% RDN through FYM. Similarly, the maximum net return was associated with application of 75% RDF and 25% RDN through FYM under investigation. Application of 75% Recommended dose of nutrients through synthetic fertilizers in combination with 25% Recommended dose of nitrogen through FYM was more profitable for sustainable production of potato in the north eastern hill region of India.

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Effect of Low Zeolite Doses on Plants and Soil Physicochemical Properties

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14102617 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (10) ◽

pp. 2617

Author(s):

Alicja Szatanik-Kloc ◽

Justyna Szerement ◽

Agnieszka Adamczuk ◽

Grzegorz Józefaciuk

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Cation Exchange ◽

Surface Area ◽

Cation Exchange Capacity ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

First Year ◽

Soil Physicochemical Properties ◽

Water Holding

Thousands of tons of zeolitic materials are used yearly as soil conditioners and components of slow-release fertilizers. A positive influence of application of zeolites on plant growth has been frequently observed. Because zeolites have extremely large cation exchange capacity, surface area, porosity and water holding capacity, a paradigm has aroused that increasing plant growth is caused by a long-lasting improvement of soil physicochemical properties by zeolites. In the first year of our field experiment performed on a poor soil with zeolite rates from 1 to 8 t/ha and N fertilization, an increase in spring wheat yield was observed. Any effect on soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), surface area (S), pH-dependent surface charge (Qv), mesoporosity, water holding capacity and plant available water (PAW) was noted. This positive effect of zeolite on plants could be due to extra nutrients supplied by the mineral (primarily potassium—1 ton of the studied zeolite contained around 15 kg of exchangeable potassium). In the second year of the experiment (NPK treatment on previously zeolitized soil), the zeolite presence did not impact plant yield. No long-term effect of the zeolite on plants was observed in the third year after soil zeolitization, when, as in the first year, only N fertilization was applied. That there were no significant changes in the above-mentioned physicochemical properties of the field soil after the addition of zeolite was most likely due to high dilution of the mineral in the soil (8 t/ha zeolite is only ~0.35% of the soil mass in the root zone). To determine how much zeolite is needed to improve soil physicochemical properties, much higher zeolite rates than those applied in the field were studied in the laboratory. The latter studies showed that CEC and S increased proportionally to the zeolite percentage in the soil. The Qv of the zeolite was lower than that of the soil, so a decrease in soil variable charge was observed due to zeolite addition. Surprisingly, a slight increase in PAW, even at the largest zeolite dose (from 9.5% for the control soil to 13% for a mixture of 40 g zeolite and 100 g soil), was observed. It resulted from small alterations of the soil macrostructure: although the input of small zeolite pores was seen in pore size distributions, the larger pores responsible for the storage of PAW were almost not affected by the zeolite addition.

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Application of Nematode Community Analyses-Based Models towards Identifying Sustainable Soil Health Management Outcomes: A Review of the Concepts

Soil Systems ◽

10.3390/soilsystems5020032 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 32

Author(s):

Haddish Melakeberhan ◽

Gregory Bonito ◽

Alexandra N. Kravchenko

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Cycling ◽

Health Management ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Soil Health ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Nematode Community ◽

Parasitic Nematodes ◽

Worst Case ◽

Pests And Diseases ◽

Water Holding

Soil health connotes the balance of biological, physicochemical, nutritional, structural, and water-holding components necessary to sustain plant productivity. Despite a substantial knowledge base, achieving sustainable soil health remains a goal because it is difficult to simultaneously: (i) improve soil structure, physicochemistry, water-holding capacity, and nutrient cycling; (ii) suppress pests and diseases while increasing beneficial organisms; and (iii) improve biological functioning leading to improved biomass/crop yield. The objectives of this review are (a) to identify agricultural practices (APs) driving soil health degradations and barriers to developing sustainable soil health, and (b) to describe how the nematode community analyses-based soil food web (SFW) and fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) data visualization models can be used towards developing sustainable soil health. The SFW model considers changes in beneficial nematode population dynamics relative to food and reproduction (enrichment index, EI; y-axis) and resistance to disturbance (structure index, SI; x-axis) in order to identify best-to-worst case scenarios for nutrient cycling and agroecosystem suitability of AP-driven outcomes. The FUE model visualizes associations between beneficial and plant-parasitic nematodes (x-axis) and ecosystem services (e.g., yield or nutrients, y-axis). The x-y relationship identifies best-to-worst case scenarios of the outcomes for sustainability. Both models can serve as platforms towards developing integrated and sustainable soil health management strategies on a location-specific or a one-size-fits-all basis. Future improvements for increased implementation of these models are discussed.

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