Phosphate sludge: opportunities for use as a fertilizer in deficient.

Phosphate sludge (PS) is an industrial by-product produced in huge quantities by the phosphate beneficiation plants in Morocco. In order to valorize this by-product, it was examined for its potential use as a soil fertilizer. The physicochemical properties, elemental and mineral content, morphological structure, and component stability of raw PS were investigated. In addition, pathogenicity, phytotoxicity, and the capacity of PS to promote plant growth in deficient sandy soil have been studied. The obtained results showed that PS was characterized by low values of moisture (2.10%), electrical conductivity (EC) (0.77 mS/cm), and organic matter (OM) (0.61%), with a slightly alkaline pH (8.20). Nevertheless, this material carried interesting content of fertilizing elements such as phosphorus (P2O5) of 20.01%, calcium (CaO) of 39.72%, and magnesium (MgO) of 2.33%. Thus, PS did not present any pathogenic or phytotoxic risk with a high increase in tomato plant growth than the control of only soil. In conclusion, the results of this study could provide the primary practical guidance for the PS application in deficient soils characterized by sandy texture.

Cold Brew Coffee Extract, A Cradle to Grave Approach

The research question related to this study was to produce various products from grounded-coffee beans such as cold-brew coffee extracts, firelighters, and soil fertilizer. The extraction of cold brew coffee (CBC) was investigated by brewing one particular sample of Rwanda coffee (medium roasted) using a cold and hot method, so that we could compare two brewing methodologies. The main parameter investigated was temperature. According to literature, particle size plays no significant role in the CBC extraction process. This work suggests that CBC can be extracted between 15 – 20 oC over 10 to 12 hours instead of 24 hours as outlined in typical cold brew extraction processes. The CBC can then be served with various flavors or diluted neatly in ice water or hot served if preferred or with milk. The spent GCB could be utilized in products such as firelighters or log firelighters for a log fire. This application has shown promising results and has longer burning times for the ignition of log fires and emits a pleasant soft coffee aroma.

Soil test based fertilizer prescriptions under integrated plant nutrient management system for carrot in an Inceptisol

A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi in an Inceptisol during rabi 2020-21 to develop a targeted yield equation for carrot crop. After developing three levels of fertility gradient with respect to available NPK in soil, the main experiment was conducted by taking carrot as a test crop. Initial soil data, carrot yield and NPK uptake by carrot crop were used for obtaining four important basic parameters, viz., nutrients required to produce a quintal of carrot roots (NR%), contribution of nutrients from fertilizers (CF%), contribution of nutrients from soil (CS%) and contribution of nutrients from organic matter (%C-OM). It was found that 0.65, 0.11 and 0.83 kg of N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively were required for producing one quintal carrot yield. The per cent contribution of nutrients from soil, fertilizer and FYM were 45.33, 65.91 and 67.26 for N; 58.45, 67.86 and 108.12 for P2O5 and 5.54, 3.35 and 10.53 for K2O, respectively. The ready reckoner for fertilizer doses with NPK alone and integrated use of NPK and FYM was also made using developed basic parameters for varying soil test values and desired yield targets of carrot yield.

Strategies of fertilizer application for ornamental pineapple plants grown in pots under anti-aphid screen

ABSTRACT Production of ornamental pineapple plants in pots is a recent mode of growing pineapple that demands information on application of soil mineral fertilizers to compose the production system. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of five strategies of application of soil mineral fertilizer on the vegetative and reproductive growths of potted ornamental pineapple plants. The experiment was conducted under an anti-aphid screen, from June 17, 2015 to May 21, 2016, in Fortaleza, Ceará state, Brazil. A completely randomized design with six treatments and four replicates was used, consisted of four plants per plot. The treatments consisted of application of a slow-release fertilizer; conventional soil fertilizer application; fertigation at every 30, 60, and 90 days; and no soil fertilizer application (control). The plants were grown in 1 L pots and irrigated using a drip system every two days. The variables evaluated were: number of leaves; ‘D’ leaf length and width; shoot apex diameter; plant height; flowering rate; length and diameter of peduncle, syncarp, and crown; crown to syncarp ratio; and percentage of marketable plants. Despite the different plant growth, all strategies of soil fertilizer application used can be recommended for ornamental pineapple plants, since they do not hinder the esthetic quality and dimensions required for marketing these plants in pots. Pineapple production without application of soil fertilizers should be avoided, since it reduces the percentage of marketable plants.

Technology of nutriating winter wheat varieties in variety-soil-fertilizer system

In this article, the reaction of winter wheat varieties to fertilizers in irrigated soils in the varietal-soil-fertilizer system was studied and a feeding system was developed and recommended for each soil-climatic conditions and varieties. Appropriate fertilizer standards have been developed for each wheat variety, which have increased the germination, weeding, accumulation, tuberization, spike formation, dry mass accumulation, grain quality, and yield structure and yield of winter wheat. N250P200K200 kg/ha was obtained from Polovchanka variety of winter wheat at the rate of N250P200K200 kg/ha used in irrigated brown meadow soils, while in typical irrigated gray soils the yield of winter wheat was higher than N250P200K200 kg/ha of pure wheat with N250P200K200 kg/ha. Grain yield was 80.18 tons/ha from Tanya variety, 76.38 tons/ha from Krasnodar-99 variety and 82.32 tons/ha from Polovchanka variety under N200P150K150 kg/ha. Under the influence of the same optimal fertilizer standards, the growth and development of winter wheat, nutrient accumulation, and grain yield and grain quality are improved, and the efficiency of fertilizers is increased.