Alterations in Leaf Ultrastructure in Varieties of Sugarcane Infected by Diseases

Given the importance of viral, bacterial and fungal diseases in agriculture and their impact on crop yields, this study evaluated leaf ultrastructural changes in sugarcane varieties infected by these diseases, aiming to find morphological responses that may be associated to the decline of sugarcane yield. Three independent experiments were carried out with sugarcane varieties. In the three experiments, a randomised block design was used with 10 replications. The treatments consisted of the following diseases: mosaic from infection of variety SP86-155 by SCMV (experiment 1); stunting from infection with bacterium Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli and smut from infection with fungus Sporisorium scitamineum (formally called Ustilago scitaminea) in the variety SP70-3370 (experiment 2); and scald from infection of variety SP78-5495 by bacterium Xanthomonas albilineans (experiment 3). The ultrastructural parameters were evaluated: mesophyll thickness, xylem diameter, phloem beam diameter, epidermal thickness of the adaxial face, epidermal thickness of the abaxial face, cuticle thickness of the adaxial face and cuticle thickness of the abaxial face. Healthy plants were controls for the three experiments. Sugarcane plants with mosaic, stunting, smut and scald diseases show deleterious changes in leaf ultrastructure.

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Improvement of Cane Yield and Sugar Yield of Sugarcane (Sacharrum officinarum) Through Maintaining Ratoon

Jurnal Penelitian Tanaman Industri ◽

10.21082/littri.v21n4.2015.199-205 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 199

Author(s):

FITRININGDYAH TRI KADARWATI ◽

BUDI SANTOSO ◽

AHMAD DHIAUL KHULUQ

Keyword(s):

Block Design ◽

Organic Fertilizer ◽

Sugar Yield ◽

Cane Yield ◽

Dry Land ◽

Sugarcane Varieties ◽

Randomized Block Design ◽

Complete Treatment ◽

Sugarcane Yield ◽

Early Ripening

ABSTRACT The level of sugarcane yield in dry land or rainfed generally still low at 40 to 50 tons per hectare. Farmers prefer maintenance of sugarcane than unloading ratoon cane (RC). This can be understood because unloading RC requires high cost, especially in the purchase of seed cane and tillage. Approach through maintaining ratoon techniques are expected to increase production and sugar yield. The research purposes to obtain cane yield and sugar yield RC optimally with maintaining ratoon techniques in dry land. Research has conducted in the Ngimbang, Lamongan district from June 2013 until August 2014. Sugarcane varieties used PS 862 (early ripening) belong to farmers. The study compiled by randomized block design (RBD) and repeated 3 times. The treatment consisted of 1). Replanting; 2). Off barring; 3). Organic fertilizer; 4). Maintaining 10 plants/m; 5). Giving PGR; 6). The package of (1+2); 7). The package of (1+2+3); 8). The package of (1+2+3+4); 9). The package of (1+2+3+4+5); and 10). Control. The results showed that the complete treatment of maintaining ratoon (replanting, off barring, organic fertilizer, maintaining 10 plants/m and PGR) obtained the highest value on the highgrowth parameters include 304.67 cm and a diameter of 3.16 cm, while the production parameters include the stalk number 5.73 stalk/m, stalk weight 1.29 kg/stalk, and stalk length 264.11 cm. Maintaining ratoon could gave the best cane yield and sugar yield than ratoon plants without maintaining ratoon cane with an increase of cane yield 16.20 tons/ha (32.14%) and an increase of sugar yield 1.38% (25.60%). Maintaining on ratoon cane 4th on rainfed significantly increase the production of sugarcane per hectare although not linear with increasing sugar yield. Keywords: Maintaining ratoon, PS 862 varieties, dry land, Sacharrum officinarum PENINGKATAN PRODUKSI DAN RENDEMEN TEBU (Sacharrum officinarum) MELALUI RAWAT RATOONABSTRAK Tingkat produktivitas tebu di lahan kering atau tadah hujan umumnya masih rendah sebesar 40 sampai dengan 50 ton per hektar. Para petani tebu lebih memilih rawat ratoon daripada membongkar tebu ratoon (RC). Hal tersebut dapat dipahami karena membongkar ratoon membutuhkan biaya yang lebih besar, terutama dalam pembelian bibit tebu dan olah tanah. Pendekatan melalui teknik rawat ratoon diharapkan dapat meningkatkan produksi dan rendemen tebu. Tujuan dari penelitian untuk memperoleh pertanaman tebu dengan teknik rawat ratoon yang berproduksi dan berendemen optimal di lahan kering. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Ngimbang, Kabupaten Lamongan mulai Juni 2013 sampai Agustus 2014. Varietas tebu yang digunakan yaitu PS 862 (masak awal) milik petani. Penelitian disusun dengan Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) yang diulang 3 kali. Perlakuan terdiri atas 1). Sulam; 2). Pedot Oyot; 3). Pupuk Organik; 4). Pertahankan 10 tanaman/m; 5). Pemberian ZPT; 6). Paket (1+2); 7). Paket (1+2+3); 8). Paket (1+2+3+4); 9). Paket (1+2+3+4+5); dan 10). Kontrol. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan lengkap pada rawat ratoon (sulam, pedot oyot, pupuk organik, 10 tanaman/m dan ZPT) diperoleh nilai tertinggi pada parameter pertumbuhan meliputi tinggi 304,67 cm dan diameter 3,16 cm, sedangkan parameter produksi meliputi jumlah batang terpanen 5,73 batang/m, bobot batang 1,29 kg/batang, dan panjang batang 264,11 cm. Rawat ratoon dapat memberikan hasil produksi dan rendemen terbaik dibandingkan tanaman tebu tanpa rawat ratoon dengan kenaikan sebesar 16,20 ton/ha (32,14%) dan peningkatan angka rendemen 1,38% (25,60%). Rawat ratoon RC 4 pada lahan tadah hujan secara signifikan meningkatkan produksi tebu perhektar meskipun tidak linier dengan peningkatan rendemen gula.Kata kunci: Rawat ratoon, varietas PS 862, lahan kering, Sacharrum officinarum

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Root growth and yield of sugarcane as a function of increasing gypsum doses

Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical ◽

10.1590/1983-40632016v4742563 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 110-117 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Paulo Ricardo Aprígio Clemente ◽

Breno Kennedy Lima Bezerra ◽

Vinicius Santos Gomes da Silva ◽

Jhulyanne Christiny Marcelino dos Santos ◽

Laurício Endres

Keyword(s):

Soil Acidity ◽

Block Design ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Sugarcane Varieties ◽

Randomized Block Design ◽

Sugarcane Yield ◽

Crop Cycle ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

ABSTRACT Sugarcane plays an important role in the Brazilian agribusiness. However, poor rainfall distribution and soil acidity directly affect its production in the Northeast Brazil. Gypsum improves the soil physical and chemical properties, attenuating the effects of water stress and acidity in the edaphic environment. This study aimed at determining the effect of gypsum doses on sugarcane growth and yield. A field experiment was conducted using a 3 x 5 factorial arrangement organized in a randomized block design, with four replications. Treatments consisted of a combination of three sugarcane varieties (RB011941, RB92579 and RB991536) with five gypsum doses (0 Mg ha-1, 2.5 Mg ha-1, 5.0 Mg ha-1, 10.0 Mg ha-1 and 20.0 Mg ha-1). RB92579 exhibited the highest stalk (157.90 Mg ha-1) and sugar (24.10 Mg ha-1) yield. Gypsum did not influence the sugarcane yield or plant growth in the vegetative growth stage, but, in the maturation phase, the leaf area declined and the number of shoots increased with the rise in gypsum doses. Applying gypsum increased the roots density along the soil profile, with a rise of around 1.10 g dm-3 at the most technically efficient dose (12.5 Mg ha-1), however, yield was not influenced, maybe due to the effect of high rainfall during the entire crop cycle. Thus, higher gypsum doses are recommended during periods of drought to benefit from the resulting increased root system.

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Comparison of Fish Pond Waste Water with Manures under Garden Egg in Nigeria

Environment and Natural Resources Research ◽

10.5539/enrr.v6n3p58 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 58 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dominic J. Udoh ◽

Otobong B. Iren ◽

Jeremiah E. Jonathan

Keyword(s):

Waste Water ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Block Design ◽

Poultry Manure ◽

Fish Pond ◽

Pig Manure ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Total N ◽

Cropping Seasons

Two field experiments were conducted from 2012 to 2013 cropping seasons to evaluate the efficacy and also determine the optimum rates of application for fish pond waste water in comparison with three other manures including one inorganic fertilizer and two organic manures under garden egg (Solanum spp.) crop.Garden egg was fertilized with pond waste water (PW), poultry manure (PM), pig manure (PG) and NPK15:15:15 at equivalent nitrogen (N) rates (0, 150, 300, 450 kg/ha). The treatments were arranged in a split plot under randomized complete block design (RCBD).The results obtained indicated a slight drop in soil pH but soil OM, total N, available P, exchangeable Ca and K increased generally with increasing rates of manures. The PW and PG treatments supported significantly (P<0.05) the highest yields of the crop compared to PM and NPK with the 150 and 300 kg/ha treatments recording the highest increase. These results have shown that under the high rainfall and acidic soil conditions of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria, PW is useful for the improvement of soil conditions and achievement of higher crop yields when applied at rates that supply N in the range of 150 – 300 kg/ha.

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EFFECT OF TRINEXAPAC-ETHYL ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SUGARCANE

Planta Daninha ◽

10.1590/s0100-83582015000300011 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 491-497

Author(s):

A. T. FARIA ◽

E. A. FERREIRA ◽

P. R. R. ROCHA ◽

D. V. SILVA ◽

A. A. SILVA ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Growth Regulators ◽

Plant Growth Regulator ◽

Block Design ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Bud Burst ◽

Root Volume ◽

Factor B ◽

Randomized Complete Block Design ◽

Sugarcane Yield

ABSTRACT Growth regulators can be used to further retard or inhibit vegetative growth. In this sense, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of age and number of trinexapac-ethyl applications on the growth and yield of sugarcane. The experiment was in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments were in a 3 x 2 + 2 factorial arrangement, where factor A corresponded to the application times of the plant growth regulator (120, 200 and 240 days after bud burst (DAB) of sugarcane) and factor B to the number of applications (one or two applications). In addition, two controls (one with three applications and another application without the regulator) were added. The application of trinexapac-ethyl decreased the number and the distance between buds, height, root volume and sugarcane yield. The sequential application (2 or 3 times) induced an increase in stem diameter and three applications of the product increased the number of plant tillers. The use of growth regulators applied at 240 DAB has reduced plant height, however without changing the number of buds. It can be concluded that trinexapac-ethyl changes sugarcane growth and yield, regardless of season and number of applications.

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Nutritional Requirement of Sugarcane Cultivars

Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.5539/jas.v10n4p361 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 361 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Vinicius S. G. da Silva ◽

Mauro W. de Oliveira ◽

Vilma M. Ferreira ◽

Terezinha B. A. Oliveira ◽

Elaine R. Galvão ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Design ◽

Block Design ◽

Nutritional Requirements ◽

Nutritional Requirement ◽

Sugarcane Varieties ◽

The Past ◽

Randomized Block Design ◽

Productive Potential ◽

New Varieties

Sugarcane produces a large amount of biomass, extracts and accumulates high amounts of nutrients. In the literature the nutritional requirements for most cultivated varieties in the past are found, however there is little information on the new varieties currently planted. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional requirement of four sugarcane varieties, currently very planted, in the cycles of plant-cane, first and second ratoon. The study was installed in a Yellow Oxisol. The experimental design was a randomized block design, with five replications, and four treatments: RB867515, RB92579, SP813250 and VAT90212. During maturation of the cane, in the three evaluation cycles, the productivity of natural biomass and the nutritional requirement of macronutrients of the varieties were determined. It was evidenced that the cultivars of sugarcane are of high productive potential and resemble the accumulation of biomass, observing a yield of 158, 128 and 107 t ha-1 in the cycles of plant-cane, first and second ratoon. Regarding the nutritional requirement, the varieties did not differ among them and expressed the following order of need in the plant-cane K > N > Ca > Mg > S > P, in the first and second ratoon, the sequence observed was K > N > Ca > S > Mg > P.

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EFFECT OF IRRIGATION ON ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF COFFEE PLANTS

Irriga ◽

10.15809/irriga.2019v24n2p378-391 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 378-391

Author(s):

Marcelo Rossi Vicente ◽

Everardo Chartuni Mantovani ◽

André Luís Teixeira Fernandes ◽

Júlio Cesar Lima Neves ◽

Edmilson Marques Figueredo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Root System ◽

Root Development ◽

Coffea Arabica ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Root Length Density ◽

Block Design ◽

Minas Gerais ◽

Root Weight ◽

Coffee Plants ◽

Coffea Arabica L

EFFECT OF IRRIGATION ON ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF COFFEE PLANTS MARCELO ROSSI VICENTE1; EVERARDO CHARTUNI MANTOVANI2; ANDRÉ LUÍS TEIXEIRA FERNANDES3; JÚLIO CÉSAR LIMA NEVES4; EDMILSON MARQUES FIGUEREDO5 E FÁBIO TEIXEIRA DELAZARI6 1 Instituto Federal do Norte de Minas Gerais, Campus Salinas, Fazenda Varginha, Rodovia Salinas – Taiobeiras, Km 2, 39560-00, Salinas, Minas Gerais, Brasil, [email protected] 2 Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, 36570.900, Minas Gerais, Brasil, [email protected] 3 Universidade de Uberaba, Av. Nenê Sabino, n° 1801, 38055-500, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brasil, [email protected] 4 Departamento de Solos, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, 36570-900, Minas Gerais, Brasil, [email protected] 5 Bahia Farm Show, Av. Ahylon Macedo, n° 919, 97810-035, Barreiras, Bahia, Brasil, [email protected] 6 Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, 36570-900, Minas Gerais, Brasil, [email protected] 1 ABSTRACT Increasing the development and deepening of the root system in coffee crops ensures higher water and nutrient uptakes as a result of improved soil utilization, ultimately leading to greater crop yields and longevity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of irrigation levels on the root system of drip-irrigated coffee plants in western Bahia State (BA), Brazil. The experiment was carried out on Café do Rio Branco farm, located in Barreiras - BA, using adult plants (approximately 3.5 years old) of coffee variety Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144. The experiment was set up as a randomized block design with three treatments corresponding to the irrigation depths of 75, 100 and 150% as determined using Irriplus software. After the fourth harvest, the coffee root system was assessed to determine root length density (RLD) and root weight density (RWD) in different sampled layers. A greater concentration of roots (RLD and RWD) was observed in the surface layer (0-20 cm) and under the lateral line (at 30 and 70 cm from the orthotropic branch). The irrigation depth of 75% provided the highest concentration of roots (RLD and RWD) in the 0-10 cm layer. Keywords: Drip irrigation, Coffea arabica L, root system. VICENTE, M.R.; MANTOVANI, E.C.; FERNANDES, A.L.T.; NEVES, J.C.L.; FIGUEREDO, E.M.; DELAZARI, F.T EFEITO DA IRRIGAÇÃO NO DESENVOLVIMENTO RADICULAR DO CAFEEIRO 2 RESUMO Um maior desenvolvimento e aprofundamento do sistema radicular garante ao cafezal um aumento da absorção de água e nutrientes devido a maior exploração do solo, com isto maior produtividade e longevidade da lavoura. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de diferentes lâminas de irrigação sobre o sistema radicular do cafeeiro irrigado por gotejamento na região Oeste da Bahia. Realizou-se o trabalho na fazenda Café do Rio Branco, localizada em Barreiras - BA em cafeeiros adultos, aproximadamente 3,5 anos de idade, da variedade Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144. O experimento ocorreu no delineamento em blocos casualizados, composto de 3 tratamentos, correspondentes à 75, 100 e 150% da lâmina de irrigação determinada pelo software Irriplus. Após a quarta safra, procedeu-se às avaliações do sistema radicular do cafeeiro, onde foi determinada a densidade de comprimento radicular - DCR e a densidade radicular – DR em diferentes camadas amostradas. Observou-se maior concentração de raízes, DCR e DR, na camada superficial (0-20 cm) e sob a linha lateral (30 e 70 cm de distância do ramo ortotrópico). A lâmina de irrigação correspondente a 75% proporcionou maior concentração de raízes (DCR e DR) na camada de 0 a 10 cm. Palavras - chaves: Irrigação localizada, Coffea arábica L, sistema radicular

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Kompetisi beberapa jenis gulma terhadap pertumbuhan awal beberapa varietas tanaman tebu (Saccharum officinarum L.)

Jurnal Proteksi Tanaman Tropis ◽

10.19184/jptt.v1i1.15585 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Dentin Queentiara Moelyaandani ◽

S Setiyono

Keyword(s):

Block Design ◽

Saccharum Officinarum ◽

Cyperus Rotundus ◽

Stem Diameter ◽

Initial Growth ◽

High Productivity ◽

Sugarcane Varieties ◽

Randomized Block Design ◽

Best Response ◽

Number Of Leaves

Sugarcane (Sacharum officinarum L.) is a sugar-producing plant and is a food commodity that is needed by the people of Indonesia. National sugar demands are increasing every year. The low productivity of sugarcane is due to the competition of weeds which can reduce sugarcane production. To achieve high productivity, it is necessary to pay attention to the varieties used because they require certain conditions in their management. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of varieties and types of weeds on the initial growth of sugarcane. The study was conducted from September 2018 to December 2018. The study used factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two factors and four replications. The first factor consists of 4 sugarcane varieties, namely: Bululawang (V1), Red HW (V2), VMC (V3) and PS 862 (V4). The second factor type of weed consists of 2 types, namely Cyperus rotundus (N1) and Amaranthus spinosus L. (N2). The results showed that (1) There was interaction between the varieties (V) and the weed types (N) in stem diameter parameters and number of tillers, the treatment V4N1 gives the best response to stem diameter 1,31 cm and 4,25 number of tillers; (2) The treatment of varieties (V) gives affects to stem diameter and number of leaves, the treatment V4 gives the best response 5,38 to number of leaves; (3) Types of thorn spinach weeds can reduce the initial growth of sugarcane. Keywords: Varieties; weed; sugarcane

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Apple Orchard Productivity and Fruit Quality under Organic, Conventional, and Integrated Management

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.41.1.99 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

pp. 99-107 ◽

Cited By ~ 73

Author(s):

Gregory M. Peck ◽

Preston K. Andrews ◽

John P. Reganold ◽

John K. Fellman

Keyword(s):

Fruit Quality ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Block Design ◽

Leaf Tissue ◽

Titratable Acidity ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Apple Orchard ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Crop Load ◽

Flesh Firmness

Located on a 20-ha commercial apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) orchard in the Yakima Valley, Washington, a 1.7-ha study area was planted with apple trees in 1994 in a randomized complete block design with four replications of three treatments: organic (ORG), conventional (CON), and integrated (INT). Soil classification, rootstock, cultivar, plant age, and all other conditions except management were the same on all plots. In years 9 (2002) and 10 (2003) of this study, we compared the orchard productivity and fruit quality of `Galaxy Gala' apples. Measurements of crop yield, yield efficiency, crop load, average fruit weight, tree growth, color grades, and weight distributions of marketable fruit, percentages of unmarketable fruit, classifications of unmarketable fruit, as well as leaf, fruit, and soil mineral concentrations, were used to evaluate orchard productivity. Apple fruit quality was assessed at harvest and after refrigerated (0 to 1 °C) storage for three months in regular atmosphere (ambient oxygen levels) and for three and six months in controlled atmosphere (1.5% to 2% oxygen). Fruit internal ethylene concentrations and evolution, fruit respiration, flesh firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), purgeable volatile production, sensory panels, and total antioxidant activity (TAA) were used to evaluate fruit quality. ORG crop yields were two-thirds of the CON and about half of the INT yields in 2002, but about one-third greater than either system in 2003. High ORG yields in 2003 resulted in smaller ORG fruit. Inconsistent ORG yields were probably the result of several factors, including unsatisfactory crop load management, higher pest and weed pressures, lower leaf and fruit tissue nitrogen, and deficient leaf tissue zinc concentrations. Despite production difficulties, ORG apples had 6 to 10 N higher flesh firmness than CON, and 4 to 7 N higher than INT apples, for similar-sized fruit. Consumer panels tended to rate ORG and INT apples to have equal or better overall acceptability, firmness, and texture than CON apples. Neither laboratory measurements nor sensory evaluations detected differences in SSC, TA, or the SSC to TA ratio. Consumers were unable to discern the higher concentrations of flavor volatiles found in CON apples. For a 200 g fruit, ORG apples contained 10% to 15% more TAA than CON apples and 8% to 25% more TAA than INT apples. Across most parameters measured in this study, the CON and INT farm management systems were more similar to each other than either was to the ORG system. The production challenges associated with low-input organic apple farming systems are discussed. Despite limited technologies and products for organic apple production, the ORG apples in our study showed improvements in some fruit quality attributes that could aid their marketability.

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Soil properties after 36 years of N fertilization under continuous corn and corn-soybean management

10.5194/soil-2021-26 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nakian Kim ◽

Gevan D. Behnke ◽

María B. Villamil

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Crop Rotation ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Block Design ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Total Carbon ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

Continuous Corn

Abstract. Modern agricultural systems rely on inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilization to enhance crop yields, but its overuse may negatively affect soil properties. Our objective was to investigate the effect of long-term N fertilization on key soil properties under continuous corn [Zea mays L.] (CCC) and both the corn (Cs) and soybean [Glycine max L. Merr.] (Sc) phases of a corn-soybean rotation. Research plots were established in 1981 with treatments arranged as a split-plot design in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plot was crop rotation (CCC, Cs, and Sc), and the subplots were N fertilizer rates of 0 kg N ha−1 (N0, controls), and 202 kg N ha−1, and 269 kg N ha−1 (N202, and N269, respectively). After 36 years and within the CCC, the yearly addition of N269 compared to unfertilized controls significantly increased cation exchange capacity (CEC, 65 % higher under N269) and acidified the top 15 cm of the soil (pH 4.8 vs. pH 6.5). Soil organic matter (SOM) and total carbon stocks (TCs) were not affected by treatments, yet water aggregate stability (WAS) decreased by 6.7 % within the soybean phase of the CS rotation compared to CCC. Soil bulk density (BD) decreased with increased fertilization by 5 % from N0 to N269. Although ammonium (NH4+) did not differ by treatments, nitrate (NO3−) increased eight-fold with N269 compared to N0, implying increased nitrification. Soils of unfertilized controls under CCC have over twice the available phosphorus level (P) and 40 % more potassium (K) than the soils of fertilized plots (N202 and N269). On average, corn yields increased 60 % with N fertilization compared to N0. Likewise, under N0, rotated corn yielded 45 % more than CCC; the addition of N (N202 and N269) decreased the crop rotation benefit to 17 %. Our results indicated that due to the increased level of corn residues returned to the soil in fertilized systems, long-term N fertilization improved WAS and BD, yet not SOM, at the cost of significant soil acidification and greater risk of N leaching and increased nitrous oxide emissions.

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Interactive Effects of Biochar and Sewage Sludge on Bioavailability and Plant Uptake of Cu, Fe, and Zn, and Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) Yields under Wastewater Irrigation

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10121901 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1901

Author(s):

Ugele Majaule ◽

Oagile Dikinya ◽

Bruno Glaser

Keyword(s):

Sewage Sludge ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Spinacia Oleracea ◽

Block Design ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

High Rate ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Yield Response ◽

Yield Increase ◽

Spinacia Oleracea L

Biochar can influence bioavailability of micronutrients and crop yields in sewage sludge-treated soils, but the mechanisms of its effects remain poorly understood. Therefore, this field experiment was conducted on a Luvisol and Cambisol to investigate the bioavailability and uptake of some micronutrients and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) yields grown in soil amended with biochar and sewage sludge. Ten treatments arranged in randomized complete block design with three levels of biochar (0, 2.5, 5 t/ha) and sewage sludge (0, 6, 12 t/ha) and combinations thereof were applied. High rate of sole sewage sludge, and its combination with biochar significantly (p < 0.05) increased yield on the Luvisol. On the Cambisol, only marginal yield increase resulted from high rates of sole organic amendments and chemical fertilizer, while co-applications decreased yields. Co-amendments generally increased bioavailability of micronutrients relative to sole amendments in the order Fe > Cu = Zn, with greater increase on the Cambisol, but uptake of micronutrients decreased with co-application rates of amendments. Contents of micronutrients in plant leaves were within the normal range, except for a combination of highest dosage of co-amendments on the Cambisol (Fe; 560 mg/kg), which resulted in leaf necrosis and 7% yield depression. The results showed greater yield response of spinach to co-application of amendments on the Luvisol.

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