Weed Based Organic Fertilizer to Reduce Application of Synthetic Fertilizer in Mustard (Brasiccasinensis L.)
Conventional agriculture has put the use of synthetic fertilizer as an important agrochemical input to increase plant productivity since such fertilizer provides fast release of plant nutrients. However, for a long period of time, continuous application of such agrochemical depletes soil fertility. On the other hand, organic fertilizer such as weed based compost has benefit to improve soil properties eventhough nutrient release from such organic fertilizer is slower than that of synthetic fertilizer. Combination of both fertilizers will provide advantages to soil and plant. The objective of the experiment was to compare the growth and yield of mustard as influenced by wedelia compost and its combination with N, P, K fertilizer. The greenhouse experiment was carried out using completely randomized design. Treatments consisted of 100 kg N, P, K fertilizer ha-1; 15 ton wedelia compost ha-1 combined with 0, 25, 50 and 75 kg N, P, K fertilizer ha-1 respectively; 20 ton wedelia compost ha-1 combined with 0, 25. 50 and 75 kg N, P, K fertilizer ha-1 respectively. Treatment was replicated 4 times. The experiment indicated that wedelia compost and its combination with N, P, K fertilizer had no significant effect on most variable observed in this experiment. Application of wedelia compost at rate of 15 and 20 ton ha-1 and its combination with N, P, K fertilizer significantly increase mustard yield (shoot fresh weight) as compared to that of 100 kg N, P, K fertilizer ha-1. This result indicated that application of wedelia compost could substitute N, P, K fertilizer for growth and yield of mustard.