Juniper Publishers- Open Access Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources

An Over View of Organic Farming in Indian Agricultural System

Authored by N Tensingh Baliah

Abstract

Now-a-days, organic farming practices are gaining importance as farmers have realized the benefits of organic farming in terms of soil fertility, soil health and sustainable productivity. Farmers are well aware with the use of organic liquid manures in organic farming. These organic manures play a key role in promoting growth and providing immunity to plant system. The principle of organic cultivation is attracting the farmers' world over due to its various advantages over modern agricultural practices. Essentially, it is a farming system which supports and strengthens biological processes without recourse to inorganic remedies such as chemicals or genetically modified organisms. Furthermost, the organic agriculture is more productive and highly sustainable one.

Keywords: Modern Agriculture; Organic Farming; Organic Manures and Crop Response

Introduction

Green Revolution (GR) technologies are known to have enhanced agricultural production and productivity. The technologies greatly helped to address the food security of India, farmers using these technologies have to depend upon the purchased inputs. The small farmers, who by cash flow definition are short of cash, are therefore found to lag behind large farmers in the adoption of technologies. The manufactures of fertilizers and pesticides, the two major inputs of GR technologies, need fossil fuels and/or expensive energy, and are associated with serious environmental and health problems [1]. Modern agricultural farming practices, along with irrational use of chemical inputs over the past four decades have resulted in not only loss of natural habitat balance and soil health but have also caused many hazards like soil erosion, decreased groundwater level, soil salinization, pollution due to fertilizers and pesticides, genetic erosion, ill effects on environment, reduced food quality and increased the cost of cultivation, rendering the farmer poorer year by year [2].

In India, cropping system involves the usage of inorganic and organic fertilizers to improve soil health and soil fertility. However, the mismanagement and excessive use of inorganic fertilizers creates problems in soil fertility and the environment. Hence, a widespread need has arisen to go in for organic farming and cultivation. The efficiency of sole organic inputs in nutrient management was studied through the use of different types of organic manures. Organic farming is a productive system, which reduces or avoids entirely the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, growth regulators and other agricultural chemicals. The system relies on crop rotation, organic manure and biofertilizers for nutrient supply, biopesticides and biocontrol for pest and disease control and innovative crop husbandry practices for maintaining soil productivity.

Organic Farming

Organic farming is an approach to producing food products that is intended to overcome the negative impacts of the Green Revolution on soil, air, water, landscape, and humans worldwide. Organic farming methods are continuously being developed by farmers, scientists and concerned people all over the world. A central element of the organic farming approach is the efficient use of on-farm and local resources such as farmyard manure, indirect crop protection and local seeds. It pursues a course of promoting the powers of self-regulation and resistance which plants and animals possess naturally [3].

Organic farming is not based exclusively on short term economics, but also considers ecological concepts. It utilizes appropriate technology and appropriate traditional farming methods. This form of farming can also be called sustainable form of farming or sustainable agriculture. The principles of this method are: organize the production of crops and livestock and the management of farm resources so that they harmonize rather than conflict with natural system; use and develop appropriate technologies based upon an understanding of biological systems; achieve and maintain soil fertility for optimum production by relying primarily on renewable resources; use diversification to pursue optimum production use for optimum nutritional value of staple food; use decentralized structures for processing, distributing and marketing of products; strive for equitable relationship between those who work and live on the land and maintain and preserve wildlife and their habitats [4,5].

Nature Of Organic Manures/Fertilizers

Compost is one of the less concentrated organic manures, but it is extremely valuable in adding extra body to soils especially the sandy ones. Compost can also help to lighten heavy clay soils. The application of organic manure helps in increasing the organic matter content of the soil, in maintaining soil natural productivity [6]. According to the application of organic manures not only produced the highest and sustainable crop yield, but also improved the soil fertility and productivity of land [7]. A combination of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients might be helpful to obtain a good economic return with good soil health for the subsequent crop yield [8,9]. Bulky organic manures contain small percentage of nutrients and they are applied in large quantities. Farmyard manure (FYM), compost and green manure are the most important and widely used bulky organic manures. Use of bulky organic manures have several advantages: they supply plant nutrients including micronutrients; improve soil physical properties like structure, water holding capacity; increase the availability of nutrients; plant parasitic nematodes and fungi are controlled to some extent by altering the balance of microorganisms in the soil.

The bulk density, total porosity and aggregate stability of surface soil improve by the hugger organic matter levels of the organic farming soil. It is an excellent organic fertilizer is concentrated source of nitrogen and other essential nutrients. It has direct effect on plant growth. It has high K and C:N ratio values and wood ash had high K and C:N ratio [10]. Earthworms can serve as tools to facilitate several functions. They serve as "nature's plowman" and form nature's gift to produce good humans, which is the most precious material to fulfill the nutritional needs of crops. The utilization of vermicompost results in several benefits to farmers, industries, environment and overall national economy They are finely-divided mature peat-like materials with a high porosity, aeration, drainage and water-holding capacity and microbial activity which are stabilized by interactions between earthworms and microorganisms in a non-thermophilic process. Vermicompost treated soils have lower pH and increased levels of organic matter, primary nutrients and soluble salts.

Vermi compost is rich in N, P, K, Ca, Mg and vermicompost when used improve the water holding capacity. Supplementing N through inorganic sources, thus play a vital role in increasing the yield of the crop [11]. Neem cake consists of neem seed along with natural nutrients which is required for the growth of plants. Every part of tree i.e. leaves, flowers, fruits, bark, seed are utilized as a pesticides, insecticides, medicine, diabetic food, mosquito repellant. It is potentially one of most valuable and least exploited of all tropical trees. It has adequate quantity of NPK in organic form for plant growth. Being totally botanical product it contains 100% natural NPK content and other essential micro nutrients [12,13]. Wood ash is a residual material produced during the conversion of biomass to electrical energy by wood-burning power plants.

It is obtained from the combustion of wood. It can be related to fly ash since fly ash is obtained from coal, which is a fossilized wood An estimated 1.5 to 3.0 million dry tons of It is generated annually in the United States with 90% of the ash being land filled. Land spreading is an alternative disposal method which is 33%- 66% less costly than land filling due to the drastic rise of prices for commercial fertilizers, the search for alternative fertilizer resources becomes increasingly important [14]. The reutilization of residues from bio energy processes for plant nutrition is an important factor to save fertilizers and to realize nutrient cycling in agriculture [15]. The ashes remaining from combustion of biomass are the oldest man-produced mineral fertilizers in the world. They contain nearly all nutrients except of nitrogen (N) and can help to improve plant nutrition regarding phosphorus (P), the fertilizer effect of biomass ashes and the solubility of P in ashes are evaluated differently.

Crop Response to Organic Manures

Vermi compost: Vermi compost was found to be richer on P, K, Ca and Mg and enrichment of trace elements like Fe, Cu, and Mn. The application of vermicompost to plant resulted in increased root length and shoots length and plant biomass. The application of nitrogen through urea and vermicompost significantly increased the nitrogen and protein content in okra fruit over control. The number of fruits per plant, fruit length and fruit yield increased significantly due to application of 100 % N (90 kg/ ha) through urea and vermicompost over control. Vermicompost has been used in flowering plants like balsam, zinnia, celosia and marigold; Vegetable crops like tomato, carrot, and brinjal and fruit crops such as grape and banana [16,17]. Earthworm casts promote root initiation and root biomass and increase root percentage. Earthworm casts have hormone- like effect, influencing the development and precociousness of plants. Vermicomposted larval litter significantly increased the length and weight of shoot and root, shoot: root ratio and N, P, K uptake. Application of recommended doses of NPK fertilizers, earthworm and cow dung has much significantly increased the chlorophyll and protein contents of mulberry leaves. Rice grown on worm casts produced higher shoot fresh weight and dry weight and showed higher nutrient uptake, lower fertilizer response than rice grown on surface soils [18].

The application of vermin compost had a significant effect on root and fruit weight of tomatoes. In 100 % vermicompost treatment, fruit, shoot, and root weights were three, five, and nine times, respectively more than control. Where vermicompost was applied at 5 t/ ha or at 10 t/ ha, increased shoot weight and leaf area of pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L) compared to inorganic fertilizers [19]. The application of vermicompost 3 t/ h to chickpea improved dry matter accumulation, grain yield, and grain protein content in chickpea, soil nitrogen and phosphorus and bacterial count, dry fodder yield of succeeding maize (Zea mays L) and total nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by the ropping system over vermicompost [20] and increased the vegetative growth and yield of Hibiscus esculentus [21].

Farmyard Manure (FYM): Farm yard manure is an important source of plant nutrients. It is composed of dung, urine of bedding and straws. Application of FYM at 10 t/ha and poultry manure at 5 t/ha significantly increased number of branches per plant, leaf area index and dry weight per plant. The fresh and dry weight per plant was higher in the vermicompost and FYM treated tomato. The highest protein content in okra fruit was recorded with application of N (90 kg/ ha) through FYM, vermicompost, poultry manure and urea over control [22,23]. The application of 100 per cent RDF and FYM at 20 t/ ha significantly increased growth attributes viz. plant height at harvest, number of branches per plant, leaf area and chlorophyll content in okra [24].

The effect of organic manures on yield characters was significantly superior over inorganic fertilizer in brinjal. The maximum fruit yield was obtained with the treatment of FYM + vermicompost. The total potato (Solanum tuberosum L) tubers yield was significantly higher with the application ofvermicompost and FYM [25]. The results indicated that the farmyard manure and higher doses of potassium proved best to increase the yield of potatoes. Organic manures such as cow dung, poultry manure and crop residues were used as alternatives for the inorganic fertilizers but no conclusive results were obtained to ascertain which among these organic sources of nutrition gave a higher yield of tomato [26,27]. Application of farm yard manure, which contained both mineral and organic N, was used to improve soil fertility and rice yield [28]. A good response of potatoes was observed in shape of increased yield with the application of potash fertilizers alone and even better with combined application of FYM. Response of potato was very clearly observed with increased levels of potassium supply along with organic manures [29,30]. The plant height, number of branches, leaf area, and total dry matter production in various plant parts of chilli recorded significantly higher values with combined application of NPK + FYM as compared to NPK alone [31].

Neem Cake: Neem cake is rich in plant nutrients and in addition to that it contains alkaloids like Nimbin and Nimbidin, which have nitification inhibiting properties and release N slowly. The improved yield is due to neem cake application in brinjal. It is gaining popularity because it is environmental friendly and also the compounds found in it help to increase the nitrogen and phosphorous content in the soil. It is rich in sulphur, potassium, calcium, nitrogen, etc [32]. It is used to manufacture high quality organic or natural manure, which does not have any aftermaths on plants, soil and other living organisms. The application of 25% nitrogen through neem cake and 75% through poultry manure was found superior in the enhancement of the growth, yield and quality parameters of bitter gourd. The application of nutrients like neem cake, different nitrogen levels, and biofertilizers has a significant and vital effect on yield and quality attributes of chilli [33] and asserts the highest dry weight of root, dry weight of rhizome per plant and total dry matter yield from neem cake applied at 2.0 t/ha in turmeric [34].

Wood Ash: Wood ash increases soil pH and thus enhances the growth of neutrophilic microorganisms [35]. The higher pH increases the fraction of DOC which is the main resource for microbial growth [36]. Sludges are efficient N fertilizers, and thus the combination with wood ash should have increased plant growth as has been shown for corn [37] for poultry litter ash. An increase of extractable soil P after application of alfalfa stems ash. The positive effects of ashes on soil texture, aeration, water holding capacity and cation exchange capacity [38]. The application of ash promotes plant growth only if there is no N limitation. The high content of Ca, K and Mg in wood ash results in an immediate neutralization acid soils upon application. The ability of ashes to increase soil pH by oxides, hydroxides and carbonates of K, Mg and Ca is an advantage for the treatment of acidic soils [39].

It was found that increased in pod yield of okra with application of wood ash up to 8 t/ha. The burning of Sesbenia wood and incorporation of the ash into soil increased grain yield of maize markedly, while the application of ash young maize plants had significantly increased the yield of maize [40,41]. The yield of vegetable crops and nutrient content were improved by wood ash [42] and reduced acidity and increased cation availability in soils amended with wood ash [43]. There was great potential of reducing fertilizer and lime bills in maize production of an acidic soil by replacing it with application of wood-ash, since it helps to increase soil pH, available cations and yield.

Conclusion

Organic farming system in India is not new and is being followed from ancient time. It is a method of farming system which primarily aimed at cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way, as to keep the soil alive and in good health by use of organic wastes (crop, animal and farm wastes, aquatic wastes) and other biological materials along with beneficial microbes (biofertilizers) to release nutrients to crops for increased sustainable production in an eco friendly pollution free environment. With the increase in population our compulsion would be not only to stabilize agricultural production but to increase it further in sustainable manner. The scientists have realized that the 'Green Revolution' with high input use has reached a plateau and is now sustained with diminishing return of falling dividends. Thus, a natural balance needs to be maintained at all cost for existence of life and property. The obvious choice for that would be more relevant in the present era, when these agrochemicals which are produced from fossil fuel and are not renewable and are diminishing in availability. It may also cost heavily on our foreign exchange in future.

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Iris Publishers - World Journal of Agriculture and Soil Science (WJASS)

Increase in The Use of Organic Fertilizers as Complements to Inorganic Fertilizers in Maintenance of Soil Fertility and Environmental Sustainability

Authored by Joseph Xorse Kugbe

Introduction

Soil is taken for granted by most farmers, who often think of it as an inert support for plants. In reality, it is a dynamic, living resource whose condition is vital for food production and for the function of the ecosystem as a whole. The fertility of soil can be considered in different ways, depending on land use. In intensively managed agricultural and horticultural systems, and even in forestry, soil fertility can be defined in terms of the value of products produced relevant to inputs used (including economic aspects of nutrient budgeting). Alternatively, the emphasis may be on quality or productivity.

Soil fertility maintenance is a major concern in tropical Africa [1], particularly with the rapid population increase, which has occurred in the past few decades. In traditional farming systems, farmers use bush fallow, plant residues, household refuse, animal manures and other organic nutrient sources to maintain soil fertility, organic matter and general soil productivity. Although this reliance on biological nutrient sources for soil fertility regeneration is adequate for cropping systems with low cropping intensities, it becomes unsustainable with more intensive cropping unless fertilizers are applied [2].

Thus, the concept of soil fertility and the choice of fertility management is specific to a given context. However, in all contexts, soil fertility depends on physical, chemical and biological characteristics [3]. When soil fertility is considered in terms of the highest practical level of productivity, the focus is mostly on physical and chemical aspects of the soil. It is important to note that some aspects of the biological component of soil fertility can be overridden by addition of fertilizers, but this is not a simple phenomenon, because increase in plant growth that is associated with addition of fertilizers can increase other aspects of the biological activity in soil [4].

In a sustainable agricultural or horticultural system, soil fertility can be considered in terms of the amount of input relative to the amount of output over a long period, using a budgeting approach [2]. This definition is different from the one that defines fertility in relation to a maximum level of productivity in the short-term or at a given point in time [5]. A definition that focuses on shortterm productivity is based on the capacity of soil to immediately provide plant nutrients [6]. When sustainability of the soil resource is emphasized in the context of soil fertility, biological components Citation: Joseph Xorse Kugbe, Wuni Mawiya, Alhassan Mohammed Hafiz, Charles Maganoba. Increase in The Use of Organic Fertilizers as Complements to Inorganic Fertilizers in Maintenance of Soil Fertility and Environmental Sustainability. World J Agri & Soil Sci. 4(1): 2019. WJASS.MS.ID.000577. DOI: 10.33552/WJASS.2019.04.000577. Page 2 of 4 may become more relevant because of its long-term impact on productivity that has been variously reported [7]. A change in focus from the highest practical level of productivity to a lower, profitable and persistent level of production; temporally depend on soil biological processes. In that sense, the physical, chemical and biological components of soil are essential for sustained soil productivity.

Environmental Sustainability Essential for Today’s Soil Productivity

Sustainable agriculture refers to a farming system that seeks to achieve maximum productivity of crops and livestock that will satisfy human needs for food and fibre whiles maintaining the integrity of the ecology. A productive soil needs to be looked after. There is the need to make the most efficient use of all non-renewable resources in the soil to sustain economic viability and enhance the quality of life [8]. Sustainable agriculture adopts a holistic approach with an ultimate goal of achieving continuity in health of the soil and the people to which the system affects [9]. In that sense, all systems, processes and interactions that eventually impact the soil health must be identified for a given geographic location before long lasting impacts due to soil usage are implemented. Often, and most especially across resource-poor zones like sub Saharan Africa, knowledge of such location-specific soil interactions and processes are limited in practice. The knowledge limitation hinders the efficient and sustainable usage of soil resources for the benefit of the environment, and for the production of food for the everincreasing human population [10].

Declining Soil Fertility in the Guinea Savanna Zone of Africa Should be a Call for Concern

Over the years, enhancing and maintaining the fertility of soils across the Guinea savanna zone of Africa have become very critical issues that need to be addressed to meet the food security of these developing countries [1]. Soil fertility has been impaired by continuous cropping; with low inputs of mineral nutrients. This has been identified as a major threat, not only to food production but also to ecosystem viability [11]. Generally, improving the nutritional status of plants through the application of mineral fertilizers, and the persistence maintenance of soil health and fertility has resulted into the production of double the quantity of food produced in both developed and developing countries since the beginning of the ‘Green Revolution’ [12]. Across the Guinea Savanna zone, increases in cereal production in the past 40 years are associated with corresponding increases in fertilizer consumption [13].

According to Tillman [11] the doubling of food production during the past 40 years has been associated with about 6.9-fold increases in N fertilization, 3.5-fold increase in P fertilization and only 1.1-fold increase in cultivated land area. Similar observations have been reported in Asia [14]. As human population continues to increase however, this increase in fertilizer consumption is not enough to sustain food security and would have to be increased to over 250 kg ha-1 of NPK [12,14].

Nearly all increases in projected food requirements in the next decades will be the result of enhancements in yield per unit area and intensive use of agricultural land [2]. To increase yield capacity of crop plants and to ensure global food demand in 2020, fertilizer use should increase from 144 million tons in 1990 to 208 million tons in 2020 [13,15]. Possibly, this projected increase in fertilizer consumption by 2020 will not be adequate to meet both food production requirements and nutrient depletions that are due to nutrient removal by harvesting crops from soils. This portion of the un-estimated nutrient depletion should be of grave concern to soil scientists, as the value of its estimate can help predict the temporal health of a given soil. Byrnes and Bumb [16] estimate that by 2020, global fertilizer consumption should increase up to 300 million tons to match required demands for food production and nutrient removal from soils. In view of this estimates, there is the need for countries in the Guinea savanna zone of Africa to develop and adopt fertilizer accessible policies and take new measures to provide more support to the resource-poor farmers regarding the supply of fertilizers.

Major Challenges Facing Soil Fertility and Environmental Sustainability

Inadequate use of fertilizers raises concerns due to its adverse effects on the environment. The eutrophication of surface waters, pollution of drinking waters and fertilizer-associated greenhouse gaseous emissions that causes global warming are some environmental concerns [17-19]. There is a very close relationship between application rates of N fertilizers and the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) [20]. Nitrous oxide is one of the most important greenhouse gases that impacts the global climate [17]. About 0.5-1.5 of fertilizer N applied is lost from soil as gaseous emissions [18,19]. Several management strategies have been developed to control and minimize N losses. These include use of N fertilizers with enzyme inhibitors like urease and nitrification inhibitors, controlled-release N fertilizers, accurate timing and placement of fertilizers, and soil and plant analysis to define rates of N application [21-23].

In these senses, nutrient use efficiency and improved soil management has become an important challenge, particularly for N and P fertilizers [23]. When the application of N fertilizers is not properly managed and is realized at excessive levels, losses of N from agricultural lands can occur through the leaching of NO3, volatilization of NH3 or emission of N oxides [17,20]. The leaching and runoff of NO3 into ground water and surface waters is a major environmental problem in developed countries, particularly in Europe [24]. It is gaining increasing attention in fast growing economies like China and should be avoided at all cost in Africa. Pollution of ground water with NO3 impairs the quality of drinking water and causes various harmful effects on human health [25]. Contamination of lakes and rivers with NO3 stimulates algal growth and depletion of respiration-required oxygen, resulting in an increasing risk of fish deaths on a large scale [25,26]. Adequate knowledge and use of both organic and inorganic sources of fertilizers, in terms of time of application, rate of application, method of application, and storage aid to reduce the impact of fertilizer application and losses on the environment.

Combined use of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers Essential for Sustained Soil Productivity

Several studies have shown that the application of fertilizers, both from organic and inorganic sources significantly improves the growth and yield of most crops [27,28]. Thus, an integral use of both organic and inorganic fertilizer to ensure adequate supply of plant nutrients and sustain maximum crop yield and profitability has been advocated [4]. However, inorganic fertilizer is expensive and may be largely unaffordable, hence not readily available to resource-poor farmers across sub-Saharan Africa. Some findings show that the intensive continuous application of inorganic fertilizers, solely, cannot sustain the high yield of vegetable production [28]. On the other hand, organic manure such as poultry droppings is comparatively available as a cheap source of nutrients for sustainable crop production [15]. Besides the supply of essential macro and micro nutrient elements to plants, organic fertilizers improve soil physico-chemical conditions, enhance soil productivity, increase the soil organic carbon content, soil flora and fauna, soil crumb structure and the nutrient status of the soil towards attaining sustainably high yields [27].

Organic inputs contain nutrients that are released at a rate determined in part by their chemical characteristics or organic resource quality. For this reason, organic inputs applied at realistic levels seldom release sufficient nutrients for acceptable crop yield.

It has been suggested that methods involved in the current agricultural production should rather be geared towards strategies that are compatible with the principles of sustainable intensification under the agricultural production systems [14] and which are promising to the fulfilment of the needs of the present and posterity. These are the ones that involve the mobilization and use of all nutrient resources that are available to the farmer.

Combine use of organic and mineral inputs has been advocated for smallholder farming in the tropics because neither input is usually available in sufficient quantities to maximize yields and also because both are needed in the long-term to sustain soil fertility and crop production. An important question arises within the context of integrated soil fertility management: Can organic resources be used to rehabilitate less-responsive soils and make these responsive to fertilizer? In Zimbabwe, applying farmyard manure to sandy soils at relatively high rates for 3 years resulted in a clear response to fertilizer where there was no such response before rehabilitation [29].

Conclusion

An integral use of both organic and inorganic fertilizer to ensure adequate supply of plant nutrients and sustain maximum crop yield and profitability is advocated. However, inorganic fertilizer is expensive and may be largely unaffordable and not available to the resource-poor farmers found mostly across sub sahara Africa. On the other hand, organic manure, such as poultry droppings is readily available as a cheap source of nutrients for sustainable crop production. Organic fertilizer supplies the essential macro- and micro-nutrient elements to plants, as well as improves soil physicochemical conditions for better crop growth and yield.

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10 Best Fertilizer for Vegetable Garden 2021 – Buying Guide

Our Best Pick

You're reading: 10 Best Fertilizer for Vegetable Garden 2021 – Buying Guide

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Also Consider

Osmocote 277960 Smart-Release Plant Food Flower & Vegetable, 8 lb, N

Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer Poly Bag

Miracle-Gro Plant Food, Tomato Fertilizer, 1.5 lb

Worm Castings Organic Fertilizer, Wiggle Worm Soil Builder, 15-Pounds, (Package…

Our Best Pick

Osmocote 277960 Smart-Release Plant Food Flower & Vegetable, 8 lb, N

Best Value

Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer Poly Bag

Don’t Miss

Miracle-Gro Plant Food, Tomato Fertilizer, 1.5 lb

Also Consider

Worm Castings Organic Fertilizer, Wiggle Worm Soil Builder, 15-Pounds, (Package…

If you have a vegetable garden, you ‘re probably already aware that if you want the largest, strongest harvest, you need the right fertilizer. The thing is, there are so many choices out there; choosing the right one isn’t easy.

We’ve put together this analysis of the best vegetable garden fertilizer to help you find out what to look for and how to make a decision. Plus, we included an analysis of ten of the best available items.

Read more: What to Do with All Those Summer Tomatoes – FineCooking

Vegetable Garden Fertiliser Options

The best thing you can do is test your soil before you determine which fertilizer is right for you and you know what sort of fertilizer you need. For other plants, you have to remember the NPK ratio but with a vegetable garden, there are many other aspects to consider.

A lot of other nutrients are needed in vegetable gardens to grow healthy and give you the best and most delicious vegetables. This is why it is so important to use a fertilizer that is specifically intended for vegetable gardens. There are usually two main forms to choose from: organic and synthetic.

Synthetic fertilizers contain ingredients that are man-made. Some contain nutrients which the plant immediately uses. Some are made for gradually releasing the nutrients over a longer period of time. Others using them in combination.

Pay attention to the NPK ratio when looking at synthetic fertilizers. This is the sum of potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Some vegetables prefer a +61404532026 or +61404532026 balanced ratio but others, prefer leafy greens, only need nitrogen and others need more potassium.

One thing you should remember is what sort of fertilizer you want. In the most part, liquid fertilizer is short-acting. This is typically applied to the soil or waterline but it is possible to add certain formulas directly to the leaves. Some formulae are powders designed to be dissolved in water and used in the same manner.

Another alternative is fertilizer in granular form. This form is usually intended for extended-release. Nutrients are gradually released out of the granules. A single program lasts for four months or more for certain formulae.

10 Best Vegetable Garden Fertilizer Reviews

1. Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Tomato Plant Food

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Miracle-Gro is one of the most well-known gardening brands so it’s no wonder their tomato plant food is one of your garden’s best options. Because it says “tomato” on the box, don’t worry, all vegetables can be used with it.

What’s very cool about this fertilizer is that you can use it on plants and seedlings in pots or in your backyard garden. This has an +61404532026 NPK, so the 1.5-pound kit will last for some time – you only need one scoopful for each order.

This formula isn’t going to burn your plants when used as directed. It starts working immediately and gives you vegetables bigger and better. Feed your garden once to two weeks daily for better performance. For a watering bowl or a Miracle-Gro Garden Feeder, you should submit.

2. Jobe’s Organics 9026 Fertilizer, 4 lb

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If you prefer a granular fertilizer which is also organic, take a look from Jobe’s Organics at this drug. This quick-acting solution is perfect for all vegetables and has been licensed by the USDA for organic gardening. This means no synthetic chemicals and naturally occurring ingredients plus it is biodegradable, organic, and renewable.

This fertilizer involves Jobe Biozome, a special mixture of micro-organisms such as healthy bacteria, fungi, and archaea. That breaks down the material so that it can be used more easily by plants. Not only can you see results quickly but it also strengthens the soil that helps your plants survive drought, insects, and disease during the season.

You can have this fertilizer in a 1.5, 4, or 16-pound bag so you can order exactly what your garden needs. Comprehensive instructions for container gardening, seeds, seedlings, and existing plants are available on the box.

3. Osmocote 277960 Smart-Release Plant Food Flower & Vegetable

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Osmocote is a must-have for anyone who prefers a slow-release fertilizer. Not only is it formulated for vegetables and perennials but it takes up to four full months for one application. Plus, since it comes in an eight-pound package, adequate to get you through the growing season.

This plant food encourages both top-growth and good root production for healthy, robust plants. How’s it working out? The granules are covered with semi-permeable resin. Water penetrates the inside of the surface and dissolves the nutrients.

Nutrients are released into the soil when the temperature increases. So, it gets more of what it needs to flourish when the warmer growing season hits and your garden gets really productive. It’s easy to apply, just sprinkle the fertilizer onto the soil, mix it with the top few inches and water daily. Reapply as needed, every four months.

4. Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed Tomato, Fruit & Vegetable Plant Food

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Here’s another fantastic Miracle-Gro product that has been created for your vegetable garden. It’s perfect for the berries and tomatoes, too. One application takes three months to complete. You can also get it in a container worth one or 4.5 pounds, so you can get what you need to cover your garden.

This fertilizer uses natural ingredients to feed the microbes in the soil which, by supporting strong roots and water quality, helps ensure long-term health. Micronutrients and calcium are also available which encourage your plants to grow more crops.

It fertilizer can be used for in-floor plants or containers. Simply remove the lock, insert the applicator cap, and open the sputum to apply. Add the dry granules to the surface, remove stems, and then mix in one to three inches in the field. Air and ready to go.

5. Fox Farm FX14049 Liquid Nutrient Trio Soil Formula

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A great alternative for a vegetable garden is this trio from Fox Farm. The best thing about this collection is that it lets you tailor the fertilized that you use to the needs of your plants at the time. This is not a one-size-fits fertilizer for everything. This is intended to span the whole development cycle.

You get a bottle of Big Bloom liquid fertilizer which provides nutrients that can be used immediately by your plants. It includes earthworm castings and bat guano plus organic gardening is registered as free. Use it for all the plants it fruit.

Grow Big fosters lush growth, making your plants larger, stronger, and growing more fruits and buds. And its low pH makes it more available to micronutrients.

Last but not least, you’ll get a Tiger Bloom bottle that encourages robust growth and is safe to use in both soil and hydroponic applications. Remove it before harvest, at the first sign of flowering.

6. Liquid Kelp Extract Seaweed 32 Ounce Fertilizer Concentrate

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One great organic liquid alternative is this GS Plant Food kelp extract. It’s one of the highest quality seaweed products available, extracted from Norway harvested Ascophyllum Nodosum. This is a natural plant food which has many advantages for your garden.

This fertilizer not only increases the root growth and seeding but also helps to increase the size of blooms and fruits. The plants should be better suited to cope with severe weather conditions and other difficult ones. They will be greener, healthier, and more able to cope with the disease and insect attacks.

For even better results, you can use this product alone, or combine it with high-quality fish fertilizer. While being perfect for gardens, it can also be used for seedlings and houseplants. Best of all, it won’t hurt your plants because it’s all-natural, even though you overuse it, making it a very healthy option.

7. Worm Castings Organic Fertilizer, Wiggle Worm Soil Builder

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Many fertilizers use earthworm castings as an ingredient but Wiggle Work Soil Builder takes the castings to the next stage. It is made of pure earthworm castings and works well from your vegetable garden to your potted houseplants with just about any type of plant.

Earthworm castings are completely natural and healthy to provide your plants with immediate nutrients and also enrich the soil to feed your plants gradually over a longer period of time. It’s non-toxic, odor-free, all-natural and if you use too much it won’t burn your plants.

This fertilizer does a lot for the soil to help avoid root rot by enhancing aeration and encouraging drainage. For any application, you just need to use a little bit so this 15-pound bag will give you a lot of coverage. This is incredibly cost-effective and works very well.

8. Neptune’s Harvest Organic Hydrolized Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer

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Read more: How to Design a Potager Garden

The Harvest liquid fertilizer from Neptune is one of the most flexible fertilizers out there, and a perfect alternative for your garden. It’s easy to blend and can be added to the drip line with a watering tube, sprayer, or.

This plant, organic fertilizer is extracted from seafood and fish. The brand suggests using one ounce of fertilizer for each gallon of water for vegetables, and applying it every two weeks or so. The big 36-ounce bottle will last for some time, depending on how much land you cover.

Saturating the top and bottom of the leaves can either saturate the soil or spray directly onto the leaves for foliar feeding. Do it either early in the morning or late in the day if you prefer foliar feed so the leaves are not too wet in the strong sunlight.

9. J R Peters 52024 Jacks Classic No.1.5 +61404532026 All Purpose Fertilizer

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If you want an all-purpose fertilizer, check this one from Classic Jack’s. It feeds via the roots and leaves and has been shown to be effective for decades in vegetable gardens. Besides, it can also be used in your indoor plants.

The balanced +61404532026 NPK ratio encourages the rapid expansion of the leaves and good, dark green leaves. Using one table liter per gallon of water for outdoor applications. Includes a convenient measuring spoon and detailed instructions.

This product comes in a wide 1.5-gallon resealable tub which makes it very easy to store. It’s also available in multipacks of two or four if you want to buy in bulk so you can cover more ground and save a little bit of time.

Since 1947 JR Peters has been in the business and has a history of producing great products. If you are looking for a fine, all-purpose fertilizer you can trust this one.

10. Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer Poly Bag

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This Dr. Earth vegetable garden fertilizer is made from 100 percent organic and natural ingredients. This has no GMOs, sewage sludge or manure for chicken, and is classified as OMRI for organic farming. The box includes specific instructions for the application of various plants, including peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, beans, and lettuce.

The strength of this commodity is its versatility. It is designed to feed both container and vegetable gardens. This can also be used when planting or transplanting seedlings and can be used for both summer and winter crops. Your plants are going to be better, and the vegetables produce even more delicious.

The recipe includes a variety of naturally occurring food-grade ingredients and is manufactured in the USA sustainably. A four-pound bag goes a long way but if you prefer, you can buy in bulk. There are packs of two, three, and four-packs.

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When to Apply Fertilizer to Vegetable Garden?

Whether you just start a garden or are planning to replant, the best time to fertilize is in the spring. If you’ve done a soil test and know you need to make a lot of changes before planting is safe, start early so you can get the fertilizer deep down into the soil before you start.

If your soil is all right, fertilizing in the spring is always a smart idea so you don’t have to worry about having any extra time. It’s a good idea to use a general, all-purpose fertilizer before seeding. You might even want to try one which is a bit higher in nitrogen.

Typically, when your plants start growing faster you need to add more fertilizer. Around this time the plants are essentially ramping up production and using more of the nutrients available. It hinges on the plant when you need to think about this.

Some plants grow fast pretty early in the season, such as lettuce. In the other hand, in the middle of the summer, plants such as cabbage, corn, tomatoes, and potatoes grow the fastest. At this level, they would need an extra boost.

If you are using an extended-release fertilizer, it may suffice to last the entire season. Follow the instructions for the kit, and keep an eye on the plants to ensure that they are stable. The only way to be sure that your soil is good is to check it over the summer and make changes as needed.

What time of day to apply fertilizer depends on that too. You don’t have to think about it with an extended-release fertilizer. The fertilizer is already in the soil, just make sure that you water it properly and that you are good to go.

When you add the fertilizer directly to the leaves, do so at any time early in the morning or late in the day. When the sunlight is bright and strong, applying this form of fertilizer at the height of the day’s heat will burn the leaves and cause serious damage to the plant.

All that said, it’s best to follow the instructions provided with your fertilizer because each is a little different.

How Often Should You Fertilize a Vegetable Garden?

If you’re planning to plant different seasonal items, you’ll have to do some research year-round. After harvesting all at the end of the season, and before the field is too hard to till, apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer to the soil.

Work it gently to the top few inches and then cover the ground. For that, a thick mulch layer works well. It provides on-surface food for worms that keep the soil aerated. The slow-release fertilizer replenishes the nutrients used up by the plant in the summer through the winter.

As we have said, it’s time for the start of the growing season to add some balanced fertilizer in the spring. When you fertilized in the winter, this might not be important, but again, the only way to say for sure is to check the soil.

In summer again fertilize. If you do this it depends on what kind of vegetables you produce. If you are not planting until the summer, add a balanced fertilizer with the gradual release. Check the soil as required to ensure that you are getting it right.

When the summer is particularly hot or dry, your garden requires a little extra care. Soft, dry soil makes it more difficult for the plants to use the nutrients available, so you can need to add some magnesium.

Fall crops don’t need as much fertilization as they have a shorter growing season. You can add fertilizer for fast release every few weeks, as needed. And if you get a frost, stop fertilizing. Because of the cold weather, the plants would be tired, and too much fertilizer will kill them.

You should always follow the instructions included with your chosen fertilizer. Just once a season should slow-release fertilizers be applied whereas short-acting should be applied every few weeks. Every brand is a little different so make sure you use yours the right way.

Conclusion

Both plants need fertilizer but exceptional are vegetable gardens. Rapid growth draws something from the soil. You need to use the best vegetable garden fertilizer to grow healthy plants that produce an abundance of large, delicious veggies.

There are a variety of issues to remember. Do you prefer organic or synthetic? Short-acting or protracted release? Liquefied or granulated? There is plenty to choose from different products. Fortunately, the items we reviewed cover a wide variety of choices and are highly recommended to all.

Take a look at these products from the same price range, that are available right now on Amazon:

Also, See The 8 Best Liquid Lawn Fertilizers – Buying Guide

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/10-best-fertilizer-for-vegetable-garden-2021-buying-guide/

Assessing the Growth and Productivity of Rice Under Different Fertilizer Management Practices Grown Under Sri Production in Kavre, Midhill of Nepal- Juniper Publisgers

Juniper Publishers- Open Access Journal of Annals of Reviews & Research

Assessing the Growth and Productivity of Rice Under Different Fertilizer Management Practices Grown Under Sri Production in Kavre, Midhill of Nepal- Juniper Publisgers

Authored by S Kandel

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during rainy season of 2016 to evaluate the effect of different fertilizer management practices on growth and productivity of rice grown under SRI system in Kavre district at farmers’ field. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Completely Block Design involving seven different fertilizer management practices viz. Nutrient Expert Rice recommended chemical fertilizer (NPK), FYM (Farm Yard Manure), TP (Titepati), SOM (Shakti organic manure), GM (Goat manure), UD (Urine Drenching) and FFP (Farmers Fertilizer Practice) with four replications. The result revealed significant difference in terms of plant height, panicle length, filled grains panicle-1, grain and straw yields and sterility%. The highest grain yield (5.28t ha-1), straw yield (9.710t ha-1), effective tiller m-2 (210.8), panicle length (24.23cm), number of filled grains panicle-1 (81.37) and the lowest sterility % (23.82%) were obtained from chemical fertilizer followed by Titepati, FYM, FFP, SOM, UD and the lowest grain yield (2.91t ha-1), straw yield (4.46t ha-1), effective tiller m-2 (130.5), panicle length (21.90cm) and number of filled grains panicle-1 (48.77) were obtained in goat manure and concluded that NE-Rice recommendation is the best followed by green manuring of Titepati in intensified rice production of mid-hill agro-eco zone of central Nepal.

Keywords: Growth; Productivity; Nutrient Expert Fertilizer Recommendation; SRI; Yield

Abbrevations:FYM: Farm Yard Manure, TP: Titepati; SOM: Shakti Organic Manure; GM: Goat Manure; UD: Urine Drenching; FFP: Farmers Fertilizer Practice; NPK: Ne-recommended chemical fertilizer   

Introduction

Rice is one of the prominent staple cereal crops of Nepal, grown in 47.98% of the total cultivated area and shares 52% of the total food grain production which contributes around 21% to national AGDP [1]. The productivity of rice is very low i.e. 2.371t/ha (CBS, 2014/15). Among the various factors responsible for the lower production of rice, conventional farming has become one of the important one. Apart from that, use of high or low dose of fertilizer reduces yield. Thus, one of the way to increase the production is judicious application of fertilizers; balanced use of Nutrient Expert recommended dose of fertilizer will increase yield providing benefit to the farmers. “System of Rice Intensification”, developed by Father Henri de Laulanie in Madagascar [2], is a new methodology for increasing the productivity of irrigated rice by changing the management of plants, soil, water and nutrients resulting in both healthy soil and plants. The present study was undertaken to assess the growth and productivity of rice under different fertilizer management practices under SRI system in Kavre/mid hill of Nepal.   

Materials and Methods

A field study was conducted during rainy season in 2016 at DhitalKhola, Patlekhet, Kavre district (1000masl) in farmers’ field (270 35’ 00” N latitude and 850 40’ 00” E longitude). The soil of experimental site was loamy with pH 5.69, OM content 1.79% and total Nitrogen content 0.09%. The experiment was laid out in RCBD consisting seven fertilizer management practices viz., Nutrient Expert Rice recommended chemical fertilizer (NPK), FYM (Farm Yard Manure), TP (Titepati), (SOM) Shakti organic manure, GM (Goat manure), UD (Urine Drenching) and Farmers Fertilizer Practice (FFP) with four replications. NE recommended chemical fertilizer (NPK) was applied @ 109/2:23:46kg/ha; urea was top dressed in two split doses, FYM @10t/ha, TP @5t/ha, SOM @5t/ha, GM @5t/ha, UD @10.8t/ha and Farmers applied urea in 3 split doses @ 1.5kg N/ropani. The experimental terrace was ploughed a day before transplanting and were separated into 7 plots by bunds of 0.5 meter. Individual plot was puddled and leveled manually just before transplanting. Very young seedlings at 2 leaf stage of 15 days old was transplanted singly one plant per hill on the field with widely space (25cm*25cm) to encourage greater root and canopy growth. Water management was done by introducing 1-2cm layer of water into the paddy, followed by letting the plot dry until cracks become visible, at which time another thin layer of water is introduced. Hand weeding was done at 30DAT and 45DAT to reduce the competition between weeds and crops for nutrients, spaces, lights and moisture. Growth and yield characters were recorded as per standard procedures and using standard formulas.

Data entry and analysis was done using: MS excel for data input, MS word for table, IBM SPSS Statistics 21 for graphs, Gene Stat 2008 for statistical analysis. ANOVA was done at 0.05% level of significance and data were subjected to DMRT test for mean separation.   

Results and Discussion

Effect on yield attributes

The result on yield attributing characters is presented in Table 1. The yield attributing characters viz. effective tillers per square meter, panicle length, filled grains per panicle, sterility percentage and test weight were highly influenced by different fertilizer management practices. The effective tillers per square meter (210.8), panicle length (24.23cm), filled grains per panicle (81.37) and test weight (28.75 g) were statistically higher in chemical fertilizer treatment, whereas sterility percentage was statistically higher in urine drenching (40.70) treatment (Table 1). The highest number of effective tillers in chemical fertilizer may be due more availability of fertilizer applied in split doses. Higher filled grains per panicle in chemical fertilizer might be due to better translocation of carbohydrates, produced before heading and accumulated in leaf sheath and stem, to the panicles during grain filling. Higher sterility percentage in urine drenching treatment suggests us the poor grain filling in panicles. Similar result was also reported by various experiments carried out earlier [3-5].

Treatment means followed by common letters within column are not significantly different among each other based on DMRT at 0.05.

The grain yield and straw yield of rice were also significantly influenced by the treatments as presented in Table 1; chemical fertilizer yielding higher than all other treatments. Among the organic sources, titepati yielded better over other sources where urine drenching and goat manure were poor performers in terms of grain yield. Increases in yield components are associated with better nutrition, plant growth and increased nutrient uptake [6]. Easily solubility, quick hydrolysis and rapid translocation of plant nutrients evident in the use of chemical fertilizers results in such effects while organic manures require longer period for decomposition and therefore a slow nutrient release. The improvement in yield owing to the application of chemical fertilizers might be brought by the beneficial effect of these on nutrient uptake, physiological growth [7]. Titepati and FYM which are comparatively quicker in decomposition and nutrient release seems to work better than the ones that are slowly decomposed in terms of producing rice yield.

Straw yield is a function of vegetative growth. Balanced and optimum use of fertilizer increase plant height, green leaves per hill and tillers per hill which finally resulted in higher straw yield. These results are in accordance with [4,8,9]. Similarly, the highest mean harvest index was observed in treatment with chemical fertilizer whereas lowest was observed in urine drenching.   

Conclusion

From the trial, we got the highest yield in NE recommended chemical fertilizer whereas lowest in Goat Manure. Thus, NERice recommended fertilizer is the best followed by green manuring of Titepati in intensified rice production of mid-hill agro-ecozone of central Nepal.

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How to get the urea fertilizer coated?

Coated urea is a modified urea. So, why should urea be applied in the process of compound fertilizer production line? There are two reasons:

1. Urea is a nitrogen fertilizer variety with the highest nitrogen content (n = 46%). In recent years, the actual effect of fertilization shows that urea is a kind of fertilizer with low utilization rate. Due to the large amount and low utilization rate of urea, the nitrogen loss caused by urea and the negative impact on the atmosphere and water environment are also large.

2. The reason for the low utilization rate of urea in agriculture is determined by the weak agricultural chemical properties of urea. The agrochemical properties of urea in soil are similar to that of ammonium bicarbonate. Soil cannot be absorbed and stored until it is absorbed and stored. At the same time of ammoniation, soil alkalization in micro area was also accompanied, which led to the increase of ammonia volatilization. The nitrogen content of urea is higher than that of ammonium bicarbonate, so the total volatile content of urea is higher than that of ammonium bicarbonate.

Material composition and processing technology of urea coating solution

The solution and the jelly are composed of an organic substance. In addition to organic substances such as formic acid, a little salt forms of potassium (k), magnesium (mg), manganese (MN) and zinc (Zn) are added. Iron (FE), iron (b) and other nutrients. The coating solution is yellowish green with specific gravity of 1.17 ~ 1.18 and pH of 3 ~ 4.

Coating urea processing technology

Urea coating process is to use the coating solution and urea particle surface has a certain affinity, a small amount of solution evenly sprayed on the urea surface, and a small amount of penetration into the urea particles, the amount of coating solution per kg of urea is only 6-10 kg. With the help of hot drying and curing of urea, the coating solution can form a very thin film on the surface of urea particles after dry solid oxidation, which can be processed at one time.

We not only provide equipment related to urea coating production process, but also fertilizer granulator, NPK fertilizer granulator, extrusion granulator, rotary granulator, flat die granulator, organic fertilizer granulator, disc granulator, etc.

How To Grow The Biggest Marijuana Buds

After your first successful grow, the next logical question is how can I produce a higher yield next time? The female cannabis plant produces large amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and the largest concentration of THC is found in the flowers (buds). You may have seen pictures on social media of enormous buds. It's a sight to behold. How did they do it? With a few tweaks, and some basic knowledge your next grow will reward you with a massive yield. In this article we'll look at several ways to produce big, beautiful, marijuana buds with the highest yield possible. Genetics The single most important factor in producing the largest buds, and yield is to choose the right genetics. Several strains have been genetically engineered to produce the largest, and most potent yields. We see new strains appearing every year, produced by some of the top cannabis breeders. Some strains haven't been modified, and are organically predisposed to produce higher yields. When shopping at an online seed-bank such as Seedsman, you'll see yield quantities listed as part of the description. A yield of 500 grams or higher is considered a high yielding cannabis plant. High yielding plants by default have larger terminal buds. Some high yielding, high THC cannabis plants include Pineapple Express and Grapefruit. Indoor grows will have lower yields than outdoor grows. The roots are confined in pots when growing indoors, so the overall plant size, and yield will be smaller. This shouldn't discourage you from growing indoors.

Nutrition Growing large, healthy buds requires a healthy diet. They require the right nutrients, which vary at different stages of growth. Lets assume for the time being that you're using potting soil as a grow medium, as opposed to hydroponics. While there are some benefits for using hydroponics, such as potency, and shorter time to harvest, bud size and overall yield are best achieved using soil. Like all plants, cannabis requires fertilizer which includes nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) (NPK). They also require trace minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, sulfur, and boron. Most commercial potting soil (bags) contain the right combination of fertilizer, nutrients and some organic matter required in the early stages of vegetative growth. This may be sufficient for the first few weeks of growth. The vegetative (growth) stage which can last for 7-8 weeks, requires a different combination of nutrients and fertilizer than the flowering stage. The vegetative stage uses more nitrogen (N), and the flowering (bud) stage uses more phosphorus (P). Commercial nutrients contain ratios of 2-2-4 for vegetation (grow), and 0-6-6 (NPK) for flowering. These quantities, and ratios differ slightly by product. There are several commercial nutrient brands available online that provide different combinations, trace minerals and organic matter for each stage of growth. I suggest adding half the recommended dose when starting a nutrient program. Keep a close eye on your plants, checking for drooping or yellowing leaves. Over fertilizing can destroy your plants, so start slowly. Nutrients are added to water, and used once per week. You should stop adding nutrients 1-2 weeks before the harvest, which is referred to a flushing. Only pure water is used at this late stage. Check the pH of the soil, and water. Cannabis plants require a soil pH of between 6.0–6.5. You can adjust pH levels by using products such as pH UP, and pH DOWN. One of the most overlooked nutrients for flowering is CO2. Carbon dioxide is the most essential element for photosynthesis other than direct sunlight (or LED & HID lights). Adding CO2 to the grow during the flowering stage will greatly enhance the size and quality of your buds. If using a grow tent, or closed grow area a cheap and effective way to add CO2 is using dry ice. Dry ice is simply pure, frozen CO2. You can mount the dry ice above each plant and watch it slowly release CO2 gas as it melts. Once per week is sufficient. Another way to get CO2 is renting a refillable CO2 tank. You can also purchase a CO2 machine, which is more costly. Technically water is a nutrient. Make sure you don't over-water. Feel the soil and determine if its dry, moist or wet. You can also purchase a cheap hydrometer, and probe the soil. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "202008f7-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Top Nutrient Picks"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "e0bb21f4b7a141b53f8e697000ff98ef"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B0002E5O6O,B0002E5O7S,B00572026S,B004FYSDFQ"; Topping & Trimming All flowers produce the best and biggest fruits at the top of the plant. Its genetically advantageous for the survival of the plant's species. The highest concentration of growth hormone is located at the top of the plant. When left alone to grow, cannabis plants will produce one large terminal bud at the top, and several smaller buds lower down on the plant, known as popcorn buds. When you top the plant, you create a bushier, more dense plant. Topping is essential if you want to significantly increase the yield. The plant will grow out evenly into 4 or more terminal buds over the following days and weeks. Topping should be done at the first 3-4 weeks, when the plant is 6-8 inches in height. There should be at least 4 or 5 nodes, with stems and leaves growing out. Cut off the top leaf including its stem down to the top node. Over the next few weeks you'll see new stems and leaves growing out. These will eventually turn into terminal buds. The plant will become more dense and bushier as it matures. This in turn will produce a much higher yield. Trimming Stated previously, if you left the cannabis plant to grow on its own you'll end up with several small, wispy "popcorn" buds growing on the lower part of the plant. They don't get enough light and resources to grow into full sized buds. Because the lower leaves and stems will not produce quality buds, they're pretty much useless. Trimming, or pruning the lower one third of the plant allows the plant's resources to be dedicated to the larger stems, leaves, and buds towards the top. This step will also increase yield. Start trimming the lower part of the plant at 6-8 weeks, toward the end of the vegetative stage. You can start slowly, and re-visit up to the flowering stage as needed. Don't overdo it, or the plant can go into shock. Lighting Providing adequate lighting is essential for proper growth, in the early stages through flowering. A lack of sufficient light in the first few weeks of growth will lead to a weak, sick plants and disappointment down the road. When using fluorescent or LED lighting in the vegetative stage, make sure the lights are no more than 2 inches above the plant. These lights run cool and won't burn the plant. If the lights are set too high, the plant stretches higher, getting closer to the light to meet its lighting requirements. Stretching leads to weak stems, roots and the plant will not be strong enough to flower. If your using HID lighting such as metal halide in the vegetative stage, you'll need to mount these 24-36 inches higher, as they give off a lot of heat, and have a much higher intensity or lumen output. Metal halide lamps are generally used in commercial grows. Its also important to adjust lighting during the flowering stage. To avoid burning the plants when using high pressure sodium lamps (HPS), the height should be raised enough to avoid burning the plants. Depending on the power, HPS lamps can be mounted as high as 36 inches above the plants. The reflectors spread light evenly, and the intensity gets light down to the bottom of the plants. Over lighting can be as bad as under lighting. Commercial growers tend to use 600 watt HPS, while a small grow of 6 plants or less will get away with a 400, or 250 watt lamp. Many small time, personal growers choose LED lighting for 6 plants or less. LED lights run cool, are energy efficient, and fairly inexpensive. LED technology has improved enough to produce large, healthy flowers. When using LED lights make sure enough light is getting to the lower part of the plant. LED lights should be mounted lower than HPS lighting, yet high enough for the reflector to spread out the light, covering all the plants. You might need 2 or more LED lights for enough coverage, depending on how many plants you're growing. Conclusion Growing large, healthy buds is very achievable if you obtain the right genetics, provide the right nutrients, topping and trimming, and adequate lighting. It seems like a big outlay of cash, but what you purchase upfront will be used for several grows, such as nutrients, lighting, tools etc... Your increased knowledge will lead to a better, more rewarding experience. Also See: Growing Marijuana Indoors For Beginners Read the full article

Evaluation of Potential Very Early Rice Genotypes with Different Levels of Nitrogen under Aerobic Situation-Juniper Publishers

Rice is an important staple food crop for majority of the world population. Aerobic rice system is a new way of growing rice that needs less water than low land rice. It is grown like an upland crop (maize, wheat, Oats etc.) in soil, which is un-puddled, non-flooded or saturated. On the other hand, optimization of applied nitrogen at critical growth stages, coinciding with the period of efficient utilization is essential to meet the nitrogen requirement of crop through-out the growing season. On the basis of this fact an experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2013 at Rice Research Station, Bankura, West Bengal, India. The soil of experimental field was sandy loam in texture with medium in fertility status. This experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications and compared two factors [nitrogen levels (3) and AVT-VE rice cultures: Direct seeded (7)] to identify promising and stable genotypes under direct seeded condition in aerobic situation and study the grain yield potential, nitrogen response and use efficiency of promising AVT-2 rice cultures [AVT-VE (Direct Seeded)] grown in aerobic conditions under high and low input management in rice. Recommended fertilizer dose (RFD) was N, P2O5, K2O @ 80, 40, 40kg ha-1 (N: 25% as basal, 50% at active tillering stage and 25% at panicle initiation stage). Three (3) levels of Nitrogen (kg ha-1) [N1 - 50% recommended nitrogen (RN) - 40, N2 - 100% recommended nitrogen (RN) - 80, N3 - 150% recommended nitrogen (RN) - 120] were randomly allotted in the three main plots; while seven very early rice cultures [V1 = IET 22020, V2 = IET 22743, V3 = IET 22744, V4 = Anjali, V5 = Varalu, V6 = Vandana and V7 = Siddhanta (Local check)] were randomly allotted in the seven sub plots of each main plot. Three rice cultures belonging to AVT VE – DS (Direct seeded) [IET 22020, IET 22743 and IET 22744] were evaluated along with Anjali, Varalu, Vandana and Siddhanta (local check) under three levels graded levels of nitrogen 50, 100 and 150% of RDN during kharif 2013. The experimental results revealed that grain yield differences among the cultivars were significant. IET cultures recorded significantly higher grain yields over standard and local check (cv. Siddhanta). IET 22020 recorded highest grain yield of 3.51t ha-1. Incremental doses of nitrogen influenced the grain yield significantly. Application of 150% of RDN recorded significantly higher grain yield of 3.6t ha-1. The N response was higher (34.36) at 100% RDN as compared to 150% RDN.Keywords: Promising very early rice cultures; Nitrogen levels; Grain yield and aerobic direct seeded condition

Introduction

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is most economically important food crop and grown across the world. Most people of the world depend on rice for their secured livelihood and a way of life. It is the staple food for more than 65 per cent of the people and provides employment and livelihood to 70 per cent of the Indians. There is a need to enhance the productivity of the rice to meet the growing demand under conditions of declining quantity and quality of land [1]. Rice is an important staple food crop of the world. Aerobic rice system is a new way of growing rice that needs less water than low land rice. It is grown like an upland crop (maize, wheat, Oats etc.) in soil, which is un-puddled, non-flooded or saturated. Aerobic rice system is the method of cultivation, where the rice crop is established by direct seeding (dry or water-soaked seed) in un-puddle field and non-flooded field condition [2]. The usual way of planting aerobic rice is the same as we would plant the other cereal crops like wheat, oats or maize by direct seeding. There is no need of raising of seedling in nursery bed and puddle operation in the main field [3]. Nitrogen plays an important role to promote the plant growth and ultimately in determining the yield of rice. Nitrogen is the key element in the production of rice and gives by far the largest response. It is the most essential element in determining the yield potential of rice and nitrogenous fertilizer is one of the major inputs to rice production [4]. However, recovery of applied nitrogen in rice is very low owing to various losses. Optimization of applied nitrogen at critical growth stages, coinciding with the period of efficient utilization is essential to meet the nitrogen requirement of crop throughout the growing season [5]. Almost every farmer has the tendency to apply costly N fertilizer excess to get a desirable yield of Aman rice [6], but the imbalance use of N fertilizer causes harm to the crop and decreases grain yield. It is also a fact that improper use of nitrogenous fertilizer, instead of giving yield advantage, may reduce the same. Nitrogen management is an important aspect for obtaining good yield of rice. Optimum dose and schedule of fertilizer application is necessary to achieve higher yields, minimize lodging and damage from insect pests [7]. Sangeetha and Balakrishnan [8] reported that lower grain yield of rice obtained with absolute control which did not receive organic manures and recommended NPK addition. Nitrogen fertilization and proper time of its application is the major agronomic practice that affects the yield and quality of rice crop [9]. Different varieties may have varying responses to N-fertilizer depending on their agronomic traits. Now a days the identification and release of high yielding very early rice varieties, it becomes imperative to make a comparative assessment of the growth studies and their influence on grain yield under different nutrient combination. Of the mineral nutrients, nitrogen plays a major role in utilization of absorbed light energy and photosynthetic carbon metabolism in many biochemical and physiological activities of plant [10,11]. Its deficiency or excess application may adversely affect these processes and ultimately reduces crop yield. On other hand, genetic character of a variety limits the expression of yield. Rice cultivars differ in their potential to respond to high fertility conditions. Selection of suitable varieties and their nutrient requirements have great relevance in boosting up productivity of upland rice in aerobic direct seeded situation. Selection of proper variety suitable to the specific ecological situation may prove to be a boon to the farmer. Keeping these points in view the present research was taken up. Hence this study was proposed to identify promising and stable very early rice genotypes under direct seeded condition in aerobic situation and study the grain yield potential, nitrogen response and use efficiency of promising AVT-2 rice cultures (very early) [AVT-VE (Direct Seeded)] grown in aerobic conditions of red and laterite zone of West Bengal under high and low input management in rice.

Materials and Methods

To identify promising and stable genotypes under direct seeded condition in aerobic situation and study the grain yield potential, nitrogen response and use efficiency of promising AVT-2 rice cultures/genotypes (very early) [AVT-VE (Direct Seeded)] grown in aerobic conditions of red and laterite zone of West Bengal under high and low input management in rice, a field experiment was conducted during kharif season, 2013 at Rice Research Station, Bankura, West Benagl, India. Main objectives of this experiment were to identify promising and stable genotypes under direct seeded condition in aerobic situation and study the grain yield potential of promising AVT-2 rice cultures/genotypes (very early) under high and low input management in rice (direct seeded condition). The soil of experimental field was sandy loam in texture. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design in 3 replications. Recommended fertilizer dose (RFD) was N, P2O5, K2O @ 80, 40, 40kg ha-1 (N: 25% as basal, 50% at active tillering stage and 25% at panicle initiation stage). Three (3) levels of Nitrogen (kg ha-1) [N1 - 50% recommended nitrogen (RN) - 40, N2 - 100% recommended nitrogen (RN) - 80, N3 - 150% recommended nitrogen (RN) - 120] were randomly allotted in the three main plots; while seven very early rice cultures [V1 = IET 22020, V2 = IET 22743, V3 = IET 22744, V4 = Anjali, V5 = Varalu, V6 = Vandana and V7 = Siddhanta (Local check)] were randomly allotted in the seven sub plots of each main plot. Three rice cultures belonging to AVT VE – DS (Direct seeded) [IET 22020, IET 22743 and IET 22744] were evaluated along with Anjali, Varalu, Vandana and Siddhanta (local check) under three graded levels of nitrogen 50, 100 and 150% of RDN during kharif 2013. The source of N, P2O5 and K2O were urea, single super phosphate (S.S.P.) and muriate of potash (M.O.P.), respectively. 25% of recommended dose of N and full dose of P2O5 and 75% of K2O were applied as basal. 50% of recommended dose of nitrogen was top dressed at active tillering stage and rest 25% N along with 25% K2O were applied at panicle initiation stage. The field was drained before application of fertilizers and one week before harvest. Initial soil sample were collected and were analyzed for important properties using standard procedures. The soil was slightly acidic (pH 5.6) in nature, EC: 0.17 dsm-1, organic carbon (%): 0.42, available P2O5 45kg ha-1 and K2O 188kg ha-1, respectively. Plot size was 4m × 3m, whereas the crop geometry was line (row) to line (row) 20 cm with continuous direct sowing. Pendimethalin (PE) @ 1.0kg a.i. ha-1 at 1 day after sowing (DAS) and 2, 4-D Na salt (80 WP) @ 0.08kg a.i. ha-1 at 20 DAS was applied. One hand weeding was done at 45 DAS. Observation on yield parameters and yield was recorded. Data was statistically analyzed. The 5m2 area in the middle of each plot was harvested for recording grain yield. Ten rice hills outside the harvested area were selected and harvested separately for recording panicle weight. The number of matured panicles per m2 area in the middle of each plot was recorded.

Results and Discussion

The effects of various levels of nitrogen (N) and very early rice genotypes/varieties on various parameters have been presented in Tables 1 and 2.

Nitrogen levels

The yield attributes of potential very early rice genotypes/ varieties were found to be differed due to applied nitrogen levels. Each increase in the N-level increased number of panicles m-2 and matured panicle weight resulting higher yield attributes and grain yield (Table 1). Thus, at 150% recommended nitrogen (RN) i.e 120kg N ha-1, the yield attributes recorded maximum number of panicles m-2 (350), panicle weight (1.85g) and finally recorded highest grain yield (3.60t ha-1) than lower fertilities. It was significantly higher than other levels (rate) of nitrogen. While, at 100% recommended nitrogen (RN) i.e 80kg N ha-1 the yield attributes recorded second highest number of panicles m-2 (337), panicle weight (1.62g) and finally recorded second highest grain yield (3.22t ha-1) during investigation. While, at 50% recommended nitrogen (RN) i.e 40kg N ha-1 the yield attributes recorded lowest number of panicles m-2 (225), panicle weight (1.36g) and finally recorded lowest grain yield (1.84t ha-1) during investigation. It was significantly lower than other levels (rate) of nitrogen in this experiment. The experimental results revealed that among the nitrogen levels, the highest grain yield (3.6 t ha-1) was recorded with 150% recommended nitrogen (RN) i.e 120kg N ha-1 and it was statistically significant higher than 100% recommended nitrogen (RN) i.e 80kg N ha-1 (3.22t ha-1) and 50% recommended nitrogen (RN) i.e 40kg N ha-1 (1.84t ha-1), respectively. There was a significant increase in grain yield with the increase in N level from 40 to 120kg ha-1 and further increase in N level upto 120kg ha-1 could increase the grain yield significantly (Figure 1).

The improvement in yield attributing traits may be ascribed to the improved vegetative growth due to nitrogen fertilization, facilitating photosynthesis, thereby increasing translocation of organic food materials towards the reproductive organs; which enhanced the formation of panicles with fertile grains. The improvement in yield components due to increased nitrogen levels also have been reported by many workers Shukla et al. [12], Pandey et al. [13] and Singh et al. [14]. The productivity i.e. grain yield of aerobic direct seeded rice was found to be differed with different level of nitrogen during investigation. This might be due to better growth and appreciable improvement in yield attributing characters. This could be attributed to the fact that higher dose of nitrogen being constituent of enzymes and protein enhanced cell expansion and various metabolic processes. Grain yield production increased significantly with incremental levels of N up to 120kg ha-1. This could be attributed to the higher nitrogen application which might have increased the chlorophyll formation and improved photosynthesis and thereby increased the plant growth, number of panicles per unit area and panicle weight leading to the production of high grain yield. Similar results have also evinced by Liukhan et al. [15] and Sabir et al. [16].

Varieties

There were significant differences among the potential very early rice genotypes/varieties in plant growth, yield attributes and grain yield. All yield attributing characters (number of panicle/ m2 and panicle weight) were remained differed with different varieties. Among the seven genotypes/varieties, IET 22020 (very early rice genotype) recorded maximum number of panicles m-2 (367), panicle weight (1.83g) and finally recorded highest grain yield (3.51t ha-1). It was statistically at par with IET 22743 and IET 22744 (very early rice genotypes) with respect to grain yield (3.27 and 3.10t ha-1, respectively). IET 22743 recorded 344 numbers of panicles m-2 and panicle weight was 1.71g. IET 22744 recorded 333 numbers of panicles m-2 and panicle weight was 1.63g. While, IET 22020 was remained closed to IET 22743 and IET 22744 with respect in grain yield under aerobic direct seeded situation during investigation. Experimental results revealed that among the potential very early rice genotypes/varieties, IET 22020 recorded the highest grain yield (3.51t ha-1), which was significantly higher to that of Anjali (2.89t ha-1), Varalu (2.45t ha-1), Vandana (2.69t ha- 1) and Siddhanta (2.29t ha-1) (local check) (Table 1). However, IET 22743 exerted second promising yield attributing characters and grain yield during investigation (Figure 2).The climatic condition and genetic makeup of variety had better interaction under which could be enhanced growth and development of panicles. The photoperiodic responses and genetic potentiality on variation of yield attributes of improved varieties have also been reported by Lar et al. [17]. Productivity of crop is collectively determined by vegetative growth coupled with higher yield attributes resulting in higher grain yield. Increased in grain yield through greater partitioning of assimilates from shoot to grain. The increased in grain yield by the varieties due to overall respective performance in growth and appreciable improvement in the yield attributing characters. Significant variations in grain yield of rice varieties have also been reported by many workers [17-19].

The experimental results revealed that grain yield differences among the cultivars were significant. IET cultures recorded significantly higher grain yields over standard and local check (Siddhanta). IET 22020 recorded highest grain yield of 3.51t ha-1. Incremental doses of nitrogen influenced the grain yield significantly. Application of 150% of RDN recorded significantly higher grain yield of 3.6t ha-1. The N response was higher (34.36) at 100% RDN as compared to 150% RDN. Regarding interaction effect, combination of N3 X V1 i.e 150% recommended nitrogen (RN) i.e 120kg N ha-1 and IET 22020 (very early rice culture) recorded highest grain yield of 4.14t ha-1 [20] (Table 2) (Figure 3).

Conclusion

From the present study, it may be concluded that among the potential very early rice genotypes/varieties IET 22020 proved most impressive by recording the highest grain yield and IET 22743 exerted second promising very early rice genotype under aerobic direct seeded situation of red and laterite zone of West Bengal. IET 22020 has the potential to be an alternative/replacement as very early rice genotype for Siddhanta in upland areas under aerobic direct seeded condition with 150% recommended nitrogen (RN) i.e 120kg N ha-1.

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How To Pick Affordable NPK Granulation Equipment For Your Personal Fertilizer Business

In terms of purchasing new NPK granulation equipment for your personal fertilizer business, you need to actually source the most inexpensive machinery. There are several kinds of granulators in the marketplace, meaning research is key for ensuring you have one that may meet the criteria of your own fertilizer manufacturing business. Perhaps one of the best ways to take advantage of the competitive prices is to obtain price quotes from multiple NPK granulation equipment vendors. Remember that list costs are typically just guide prices, as many manufacturers offer machine customization options. Furthermore, don't forget to check out any deals on refurbished and end-of-line NPK granulators.

Some of the several types of fertilizer granulators available range from the pan granulator, disc granulator, rotary drum granulator, and double roller granulator. Machines in the best manufacturers are constructed from high-grade steel to guarantee long service life. The particular NPK compound fertilizer granulator your purchase will largely depend whether you need to perform wet granulation or dry granulation.

A double roller extrusion granulator is fantastic for producing NPK fertilizer pellets while using dry granulation manufacturing process. For dry granulation, your nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium compound powder must not possess a moisture content exceeding 5%. Should your raw materials have a high water content, you should buy wet granulation equipment.

A double roller granulator can operate at room temperature and needs no drying processes. What's more, as being the materials are rolled and formed in a single process, fertilizer pellet manufacturing productivity could be greatly enhanced having a double roller style machine. The normal granule diameter will cover anything from 3mm to 10mmm dependant upon the model selected.

Here are among the benefits associated with buying high-quality cost-effective NPK compound fertilizer granulation equipment from top-rated suppliers:

1. Greater range of granulating machines with varying capacities, appearances, and configurations.

2. All machines have high granulating rates. The balling rate of high-grade machines has finished 93%, which implies businesses could make more pellets in a shorter span punctually.

3. The device has a wide range of applications. Many granulators will not be confined to the production of NPK fertilizer pellets they may also be used for pelletizing chicken manure, cow dong, organic matter and much more.

4. Machines are simple to operate. Simple operation controls mean businesses don't must spend weeks reading technical manuals to have their production line started.

5. Fast order shipping and installation times.

6. Long working life. Providing NPK granulators are operated in accordance with manufacturer guidelines, businesses can benefit from machines with long service lives.

NPK Granulator Prices

The most affordable type of compound fertilizer granulators is usually pan granulators because these people have a simpler structure plus a limited capacity. Rotating granulators give a great compromise between price and capacity. Double roller extrusion granulators are usually the highest priced models because they are able to operate independently and might produce large volumes of pellets very efficiently. Remember that when you are ordering from an overseas supplier, fluctuations in currency exchange rates can impact the total value of your machinery.

The Journey of Cannabis From Soil to Oil

John Ollila, Stephen DiTuro, and Ian Stout of High Times Reports:

Take a peek inside a NorCal pot farm where conscientious ganja growers create clean cannabis flowers for processing into pure essential extracts.

Organic Fire on the Mountain

It’s no secret that the Emerald Triangle, in Northern California, has been the reigning champ of cannabis production in the United States for decades. However, with the advent of legal recreational pot in California, the rules of the game have changed. Growers are now forced to comply with legalization restrictions while hopefully not losing sight of what should be the goal—growing great pot. For many of us, this is a breath of fresh air, literally, as chemical fertilizers and pesticides will no longer fly thanks to lab testing. If you’re new to farming or transitioning from nonorganic farming practices, growing organically is the highest ideal a farmer can strive for. It’s essentially replicating the soil biology in the natural world around us, but in our garden beds. From developing good soil and fertilizers to harvesting and trimming for quality hash production, we’ll share some secrets and tips on how a couple of mom-and-pop operations are still getting it done the organic way.

About an hour outside the town of Willow Creek, up one of the many long dirt roads and perched on a boreal-forest ridge, sits Love and Laughter Farms. The farm is an impressive tract of forested land that rises from a creek and valley to a craggy mountaintop, and it is home to black bears, cougars and fishers. Old-growth Douglas fir and madrone surround the two gardens that sit high atop the mountain at an impressive 3,900 feet.

Love and Laughter was founded by Stephen DiTuro and his partner, Brianne Aalders, as a small medical farm in the late 2000s. With backgrounds in chemistry, environmental engineering and herbal medicine, the couple have always aimed at producing medical-grade full-sun flowers with a respect for sustainable practices. Now almost a decade later, the crew at Love and Laughter is navigating the waters of legalization, including the emerging recreational market, and learning to embrace California’s new regulatory landscape.

The Soil Is Everything

One can spend a lifetime reading about soil—and if you’re a farmer, you should. For those embracing legalization and organic growing methods, proper soil development begins with knowing what you’ve got. Whether you’ve just had your first load of soil dumped or you’re an experienced grower with established beds, you should have a soil sample tested by a local soil-testing lab.

Through the analysis, the lab establishes the pH balance, nutrient content, fungal and bacterial count, and soil composition. This is especially important if the soil might have had chemical fertilizers and pesticides running through it in the past. Many of those compounds are insoluble, or they break down extremely slowly, and can stick around for many years. Even clone stock from mother plants that were treated with conventional fertilizers and nonorganic pest-management products can introduce contaminants into a grow site, which can lead to a dirty test at market time.

If you’re pretty sure that your beds are clean and want to forgo the soil test, an electric soil or electrode meter, available at your local hardware store, is highly recommended to help dial in your pH. pH levels are the key to unlocking a plant’s ability to synthesize the provided nutrients. For outdoor growing, the soil pH should ideally be in the range of 6.4-6.8. All too often, nutrient deficiencies in the growth cycle can be traced right back to a pH imbalance.

There are essentially two kinds of outdoor growing styles when it comes to garden beds: aboveground or in ground, or, to put it in grower parlance, pots or trenches. Both have their pros and cons, but trench beds can be developed over time. The idea is to have soil that consists of the necessary components of organic matter, minerals, air and water, but also contains a healthy mix of bacteria, fungi and worms. Essentially, it’s the creation of a whole permaculture environment in the growing beds that, if properly maintained, will give back to the plants year after year.

The key minerals or macronutrients for marijuana are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or NPK. Nitrogen helps spur growth and photosynthesis in the plants’ vegetative cycle. Initially during this phase, the nitrogen level in the fertilizer should be raised, as the plants will require more of it as they grow through the summer. Phosphorus is needed for nutrient uptake, and it also has its part in the vegetative cycle, but it’s usually associated with flowering. Initially during the vegetative stage, phosphorus levels should remain lower.

As flowering approaches, nitrogen should be dialed back and phosphorus and potassium levels increased. Sometimes overlooked, potassium takes care of the plant’s roots, metabolism and immune system. During flowering, phosphorus and potassium will be the driving force in flower or bud production. The amount of phosphorus and potassium used during this time has a direct impact on the growth and final size of the buds.

Dry and liquid amendments, including compost teas, should be used as organic fertilizers. Dry amendments, which are used as a general fertilizer and soil conditioner, are more insoluble and break down slowly over time. Compost teas are like a quick hit, and because they are soluble or water-based, the plant will be available to synthesize or use the nutrients more quickly. Both types of amendments can be used on a schedule throughout the season, but the teas should be used to quickly correct for deficiencies or to add small amounts of nutrients at different stages of the growth cycle when nutrient requirements change.

Growing beds are filled with organic material in mounds; Ian Stout

So How Do They Do It?

The foundation of Love and Laughter’s soil begins with a growing method called Hügelkultur, or “hill mound,” which is kind of a mix between the in-ground and aboveground methods. Hügelkultur is an ancient practice, used by many native peoples around the world, but it gained its most recent popularity through farmers in Germany and Eastern Europe. The basic idea of Hügelkultur is to bury wood and other organic plant material in a trench beneath the growing bed. Soil and other nutrient compounds are then added and mounded slightly above the existing ground level. As the wood matter slowly rots underground, it creates a long-term source of nutrients rich in nitrogen, increases water retention, helps aerate the soil and produces heat that will keep roots happy as fall temperatures drop during the flowering season.

For the gardens at Love and Laughter Farms, Hügelkultur was implemented in a big way. For the bed rows, five-foot-wide trenches were dug five feet deep, then filled with various types of oak (except for black oak, which has excessive toxins in its acorns). After the wood and leaf matter were placed at the bottom of the trench, organic mushroom soil, loaded with earthworms, was added on top of the wood base. Next, mealworm castings from an organic avocado farm in Southern California were mixed into the mushroom soil. Finally, a 50/50 mix of organic compost and potting soil, from a local landscape supplier, was added on top—just the tip of the iceberg of the Hügelkultur trench. The soil was then mounded over with the peak of the bed sitting about 16-20 inches above ground level. As the plant matter underneath decomposes with the help of proper amendments, the soil is rich in life and singing.

In the spring, the beds are weeded of their winter ground cover of alfalfa. Love and Laughter Farms practices a “no-till” method of farming. This means that other than the removal of the ground cover, there’s no root-ball removal or yearly tillage of the soil as is commonly practiced in modern commercial and home farming. After the harvest, stalks are cut as close to the soil surface as possible. By not disturbing the soil, healthy bacteria, fungi and worms are not harmed and allowed to flourish.

Put Them in the Ground

After the beds have been prepped and fertilized, and the proper spacing has been determined, the plants are ready to go in the ground. For each plant, a hole four times the size of the root-ball is dug out of the beds. The soil is saved and mixed with composted goat manure, mealworm castings, mushroom compost and mycorrhizal powder. This will surround the plant with an added mix of bacteria and fungi along with what’s already present in the soil. The manure is composted before being directly applied, which removes excessive ammonia and nitrogen levels that can burn plant roots, and it also kills grass seeds that are still alive in the manure, saving the farmers many hours’ worth of weeding and nutrient loss to pesky weeds. Once the plants are in the ground, they’ll receive only water for the first week or so as the roots establish themselves.

The Magic of Tea

As the roots take hold and the young plants begin to grow, custom compost teas are introduced into the feeding regimen. Although there’s a wide variety of great concentrated premixed solutions on the market, Love and Laughter Farms’ custom tea consists of, but is not limited to, bat guano, earthworm and mealworm castings, yucca extract, silica, bacteria, fungal spores, bone meal, oyster shells, dolomite lime, fish concentrate and emulsion, seaweed powder and molasses, which is a chelating agent. The compost tea is brewed in 60-gallon pickle barrels in the shade for 24 hours at an ideal temperature of 72°F. Aeration with a standard aquarium pump and air-stone diffusers produces oxygen supersaturation. When the tea is done, it’s hand-watered into the plant wells through a standard inline feeder, usually a quart dispersed throughout 150 gallons of water.

Initially, the tea is richer in nitrogen, but a couple weeks before flowering begins the nitrogen is dialed back and a higher-phosphorus bat-guano solution is maintained. Some people like dialing the nitrogen way back, but Love and Laughter actually keeps it somewhat high. This keeps the plants stronger and more disease- and pest-resistant throughout the plant’s natural life cycle.

Prune Her for Production

There are many techniques out there for pruning marijuana for higher yields. The preferred method at Love and Laughter is a technique called bending. The structure of the plants will vary depending on whether they’re indica- or sativa-dominant and how far along they are, but essentially young plants will have a main stem referred to as an apical meristem and then sub-stems called laterals. Traditionally, growers cut main or apical meristems, from which several more meristems will grow. These additional stems are the key to creating larger colas versus one main cola on an unpruned plant.

Cutting, however, can stress the plant for sometimes up to a week or more. By bending the main stem 90 degrees 7-10 days after the young plants are in, auxiliary growth points are created. And from this auxiliary growth point, several more meristems will begin to grow (eventually forming additional colas). This process is ideally repeated three or four times over the vegetative cycle, but should be completed a couple weeks before flowering begins.

Another important aspect which falls under pruning is defoliating. Yellow leaves will develop on marijuana plants for a variety of reasons, but the most common are due to nitrogen deficiencies, overwatering, a pH imbalance or shock from cold weather. It’s easy to correct for these problems, but leaves that have begun to die are removed before they start to mold.

Another defoliating technique that increases yield is the selective removal of fan leaves throughout the plant. This creates better airflow and allows more light into the inner and lower canopy, which in turn creates larger buds in places that might usually end up with larf (spindly lesser buds). By paying attention to the plants throughout the day, farmers can see which ones receive less light and remove those selectively. Lastly, if the bottom third of lower branches are removed (which usually produce larf anyhow), a plant will divert its energy up to the apical buds. This results in healthier colas and bigger yields.

Flush Away

A common mistake that novice growers make is improperly flushing before the end of flowering. Flushing helps the weed burn cleaner and improves aroma and flavor. Different strains, even different phenotypes of a same strain, will have different flowering times. By knowing the flowering time of the strain you’re growing, you can subtract two weeks from the total flowering time. Also, paying attention to the trichomes will help as well. If they look big and sticky but are still clear, it’s a good point to stop fertilizing. Love and Laughter harvests when about half of the resin glands have turned from milky to amber. During the last two weeks, a good trick is to flush by alternating between water alone and water mixed with humic acid, fulvic acid and molasses. This mixture will help break down the remaining insoluble fertilizer still in the soil and stems.

Golden Ending

Until very recently, many farmers discarded their trim and waste material. But in a short time, this material has become a sought-after commodity for those with knowledge of extraction techniques. While nugs may yield the most flavorful concentrates, hand trim and even machine trim can be more valuable to an extractor’s bottom line.

Take a half day’s drive down Highway 101 to Route 1, at Monterey Bay, and you will find an enclave of cutting-edge extraction artists. Among them is John Ollila of Santa Cruz Concentrates and Hushpuff. An early adopter of CO2 extraction, Ollila is fighting the wave of investment dollars pouring into many large hydrocarbon labs that are tanking concentrate prices in parallel with what farmers have experienced with flower rates in recent years.

Love and Laughter Farms provides properly cured, organic, pesticide-free trim that is ideal for supercritical CO2 extraction. Raw material is sorted for remaining stems and fan leaves before being vacuum-sealed to preserve terpenes. While many manufacturers start with fresh frozen material to achieve a “live resin” or “sauce,” this is only a viable option for solvent-based extractions—mainly butane, though ethanol extracts are on the rise. California has always frowned on hydrocarbon (butane and propane) extractions because of the risk to public safety, and it should be noted that this is still an illegal practice without a local hazardous-materials license and applicable state license. The rest of us are allowed to use CO2, ethanol, water, manual press and sifting techniques.

Properly cured trim will be free of excess water, which is detrimental to most of the above-mentioned techniques. Using a liquid CO2 extraction machine fabricated by Paradigm Supercritical Innovations of Springfield, Oregon, Santa Cruz Concentrates prefers to operate extraction chambers at roughly 2,700 psi and 100°F. Ollila’s unit, named Lucy, is powered by a 15-horsepower compressor that keeps the flow rate high. It takes roughly 7.6 liters of supercritical CO2 to extract one gram of THC, so patience for this process is necessary while being limited to processing a maximum of 101 pounds in a 16-hour day.

Many turnkey CO2 systems that allow an operator to walk away and return a day later to a completed extraction cycle run upward of 4,500 psi and 130°F; while this will allow for a more complete extraction of cannabinoids, it also pulls many impurities that decrease the initial potency of the extract and make it more difficult to achieve maximum oil potency after refinement. There are, of course, solutions to any problem if you have deep enough pockets. Wiped-film units are becoming increasingly common, and, similar to turnkey CO2 systems, they allow operators with little or no chemistry knowledge to hop in the game and refine crude oil to shockingly potent distillate.

Clean Oil

Here on the Central Coast, Santa Cruz Concentrates does it the old-fashioned way. Supervised by an intelligent chemist, the short-path distillation of a properly dewaxed and bleached CO2 extract yields just as potent oil as a wiped-film unit running crude B/PHO. Pressures and temperatures on the lower end of the supercritical spectrum during extraction also allow Santa Cruz Concentrates to achieve a shatter with no additional post-processing required other than a few hours in a vacuum oven to remove residual water content. And in an exciting move to more accessible cannabis-derived terpenes, innovation continues further as Paradigm has just provided an in-line terpene trap to add to its extraction units.

With all the dollars flooding into this industry with the goal of mass-producing marijuana vaporizers, Santa Cruz Concentrates is just fine with being a micro-brew, proud to source from small organic farmers, like those at Love and Laughter Farms, who take pride in their process.

Patients and recreational users should be encouraged to be picky about what they inhale; while our lungs may be able to take some hits, they are very sensitive and, especially in a smoker’s life, often the most susceptible to compromise by heavy metals or carcinogenic pesticides. Know your grower and your extract artist. Demand test results. Be very wary of bottom-dollar extracts. And #puffon.

This feature was published in the November 2018 issue of High Times magazine, subscribe right here.

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https://hightimes.com/grow/journey-cannabis-soil-oil/

Ammonium Phosphates Market Industry Research, Trends, and Forecast 2018 - 2026

Ammonium Phosphates Market: Introduction

Ammonium phosphates are widely available in solid form such as powder, pellet crystal, and liquid form. They are the salt of phosphoric acid and ammonium. They are commonly available under the name of mono-ammonium phosphates, di-ammonium phosphates, and ammonium polyphosphate. The chemical has applications in fertilizers, food additives, flame retardant, fire control, and others.

Market Dynamics

Rising demand from fertilizers and animal feed industry across the globe is driving ammonium phosphates market growth. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States, in 2017, the demand for fertilizer nutrient use including nitrogen, phosphates, and Potash raised to 190850 tons from 184017 tons in 2015, globally. As per the FAO, the estimated demand by 2020, is expected to be around 201663 tons at the global level. Furthermore, ammonium phosphates are used in fire control and flam-retardant in the industrial sector, which is expected to propel the ammonium phosphates market growth in near future.

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However, extensive use of fertilizers to increase crop yield results into infertility of soil. Moreover, excessive fertilization also ground water poisonous and dead zones in oceans. For instance, the Gulf of Mexico has ocean dead zone, which is an effect of leaching of fertilizers into the water bodies. Such factors may deter the ammonium phosphates market growth in the near future.

Regional Outlook

Asia Pacific is anticipated to hold the major share in the ammonium phosphates market during the forecast period, owing to the rising demand for ammonium phosphates from China, Pakistan, India, and South East Asian countries for its application in agriculture as fertilizers. The economies are the major consumers of the ammonium phosphates. According to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, in India, the demand for NP/NPKs fertilizers including urea ammonium phosphates, ammonium phosphates sulphate and others in 2016, increased to 11420 tons from 10577 tons in 2013.

North America is expected to witness significant share in the market over the forecast period, owing to prominent utilization of ammonium phosphates in the crops such as corns and soybean, particularly in the U.S. Corns and soybean are the highest produced crops in the U.S. Ammonium phosphates facilitates phosphorus and nitrogen, which are considered vital for the proper growth of the crops. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in 2017, Corn yield in the U.S. was estimated at a record high 176.6 bushels per acre and soybean production was recorded at 4.39 billion bushels in 2017.

Key players in the Ammonium Phosphates Market

Key players operating in the market include Yara International, Haifa Chemical, Coromandel, PotashCorp, Israel Chemical Ltd (ICL), Mosaic Co, United Phosphorus Limited Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc., Yuntianhua Group Company Limited, Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, CF Industries Holdings, Lanxess AG, and others.

Major players in the market are adopting strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, product launch & development, business expansion, partnerships & collaborations to gain strong foothold in the global market. For instance, in 2013, CF Holdings announced its strategic collaboration with Mosaic Co. The collaboration aimed to sell phosphates mining and manufacturing business to Mosaic Company. Moreover, the company would be supplying 600000 to 800000 tons of ammonia per year up to 15 years to Mosaic Company.

Get More Information @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/ammonium-phosphates-market-2389

MARKET TAXONOMY

The Ammonium Phosphates market is segmented into:

By Product Type

Mono-ammonium phosphate

Di-ammonium phosphate

Ammonium polyphosphate

By Application

Fertilizers

Flame-retardant

Feed

Food Additives

Others (Water Treatment Chemicals)

About Coherent Market Insights:

Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.

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Distinguishing and selection of fertilizer high quality for agriculture

Recently, the mass media continuously reported on the situation of production and consumption of fertilizers, fertilizers of poor quality. As a result, the farmer has to bear the “money-loser” carry without knowing who to call. To help farmers protect themselves, we would like to introduce some of the experience gathered from the experts in the field of fertilizer. This will be useful so much for you in distinguishing and selection of fertilizer high quality to get the best efficiency in agricultural production.

Overview of fertilizer

Similarly to human food, fertilizer is a food for crops and soil, nutrient supplements for healthy plants and achieving optimum harvest quality.

The fertilizer contains many nutrients needed for plants. The main nutrients in manure: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). In addition to the above, there are also groups of trace elements…

Fertilizer is the “food” of crops and soil

Fertilizers are divided into three major categories: organic fertilizers, chemical fertilizers (inorganic fertilizers) and microbial fertilizers, with the major difference being the origin, not the differences in the nutrient composition. Organic fertilizers and some inorganic fertilizers have been used for centuries, while inorganic chemical fertilizers have only grown since the industrial revolution. Understanding and using fertilizers are important components of the Pre-industrial English Revolution and the industrial green revolution of the twentieth century.

Different types of fertilizer

Fertilizer usually provides nutrient, according to different proportions :

Three basic nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Three nutrients such as calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg).

And micronutrients or trace minerals: chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), boron (Bo,  iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), molybdenum(Mo) and selenium (Se),…

Nutrients are consumed in large quantities and are present in plant tissues with amounts ranging from 0.2% to 4.0% (on a dry basis). Micronutrients are consumed in small numbers and are present in the plant tissue with measured quantities of several parts per million (ppm), ranging from 5 to 200 ppm, or less than 0.02% of dry weight.

There are many types of fertilizer

Fertilizer plays a very important role for crops. So the distinguishing and selection of fertilizer is necessary. Choosing the right fertilizer is not only good for plants, but also for the environment and help farmers can achieve the highest economic efficiency.

Today, the leading criterion in agricultural production is sustainable agricultural development to protect the environment and the ecosystem. So many types of organic fertilizer are believed to be used in agricultural production. However, inorganic fertilizer does not lose the essential role. There are two main types of chemical fertilizers in the market:

Mono-chemical fertilizer

This is a group of fertilizers containing a major macronutrient, consisting of three main types:

Nitrogenous fertilizer: Urea contains 46% nitrogen (N), ammonium-sulfate (SA) contains 20-21% N.

Phosphate fertilizer: Including superphosphate and fused magnesium, containing 15.5% -16% of phosphorus, mainly produced in the country from the raw material is apatite ore produced by 4 factories are Lam Thao Chemicals factories, Long Thanh, Van Dien Fused Magnesium Phosphate and Ninh Binh Fused Magnesium Phosphate.

Van Dien Fused Magnesium Phosphate fertilizer

Potassium fertilizer containing more than 60% potassium or potassium chloride or potassium oxide, usually MOP, SOP, …

Compounded fertilizer

Fertilizer group contains 2 or more micronutrients. In addition, it may contain some nutrients, medium, and micronutrients, including the following:

1, Fertilizer containing Nitrogenous and Phosphate, such as mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) contains about 10-11% of Nitrogen and 49-50% of Phosphorus. Or DAP contains 16-18% Nitrogen and 44-46% Phosphorus

2, Nitrogen and potassium fertilizers commonly refer to as mixed fertilizer KNS, NKS, NK. They are some main fertilizer in Vietnam from the raw materials are two types of fertilizer SA and MOP. They have added some additives such as pigment, red clay powder. But they divide into different categories due to different ingredient content and different commercial brands depending on the production base.

3, Fertilizers containing Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, commonly referred to as NPK compounded fertilizer. They include a lot of different types due to their different compositional ratios and different commercial names.

NPK compounded fertilizer containing Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium

Distinguishing and selection fertilizer high quality for agriculture production

How to distinguish and identify fake fertilizer?

The fertilizer such as Urea, SA, Phosphorus fertilizer is difficult to counterfeit. It’s due to the complexity of the production process, the high cost of investment, special materials or scarce. So counterfeiting is not very profitable. For compounded fertilizer and Potassium fertilizer, it is easy to counterfeit. Because of quality due to simple production technology, low investment cost, big profit due to the high price difference.

The identification of genuine goods, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods can identify by analytical machinery. And that is difficult to distinguish by the sense. We need some best techniques for distinguishing and selection of fertilizer.

However, it is not entirely possible to distinguish fertilizer by the senses. Through many years of practical experiences, we will share with the farmers some experience to help distinguish, select the real fertilizer as follows:

Potassium chloride (KCl) contains 60% K2O

Typical Colors: Red, Pink, Red, and White. Farmers are more likely to buy fecal fertilizer due to the presence of NK, KNS, and NPK fertilizers on the market. Distinguishing and selection of fertilizer Potassium chloride must be careful.

The red color is typical of potassium, but in fact, only 10-30% is carbon black, the rest is SA, salts, colors, red clay. This is a kind of fertilizer that we must import100%. So fertilizer produced by domestic establishments, with 60% K2O contents, may be counterfeit goods.

When shopping, bring a small glass, white and transparent glass with a small amount of clean water in the cup. Drop one to three grams of product into a 50-100 ml glass of water to make the experiment and observe the results as follows:

Distinguishing and selection of fertilizer by the testing method: Put 3-5 grams of dried fertilizer into the clear glass.

Real potassium chloride:

– The glass of red water

– Partially submerged in water, partly floating on the water

– After the strong, the solution turns pink, not turbid, with red scum sticking around the cup dissolve all.

Distinguishing and selection Potassium chloride

Potassium chloride poor quality:

– Cup of water immediately pink

– The entire sink sinks and melts very fast

– After the strong, the solution is rosy red, still, no red scum sticking around the cup can leave residues insoluble.

Potassium sulfate (K2SO4) contains 50% K2O:

White color in the form of granules or powder is also the type of fertilizer to be imported, the amount of use is not common, easy to forge when mixed with limestone powder or raw lime powder, white clay powder. The distinction is as follows:

Distinguishing and selection of fertilizer by the testing method: Put 7-10 grams of feces into a glass of water.

Real Potassium sulfate: Dissolve in water, the solution is the clear color.

Fake Potassium sulfate: May not be completely dissolved, leaving deposits (stone powder) or turbid solution due to the slurry of lime or white clay.

Urea fertilizer:

There are two kinds of Urea fertilizer: granular and prilled. Both of which have the same chemical formula and nitrogen content, at least 46%.

– Urea: is the most common, very soluble fertilizer, white in color, round grain. This type of fertilizer is very difficult to counterfeit. However, poor quality has been reported by mixing SA into Urea fertilizer at a certain rate because SA is less expensive than urea.

Granular Urea fertilizer with big around of granules

Prilled Urea with small granules

The characteristic of Urea is that it has around grain shape. And if it contains SA, the SA particles are crystalline, with many angles. So the distinguishing and selection of fertilizer of fertilizer like urea are usually not too difficult.

NPK fertilizer:

Dividing NPK into two groups:

– Mineral Fertilizer Group: Mixing all kinds of fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium together in a certain proportion. This group has a simple production technology. But the product makes it difficult to forge but can only be of poor quality. Distinguishing and selection fertilizer as NPK is really important.

– Compounded group: is produced by crushing, mixing all kinds of ingredients, then forming the granules. This group is susceptible to counterfeiting, by imitating cheap ingredients such as peat, clay, powder … to make the product look and feel like the real thing.

For NPK compounded fertilizers in general, it is difficult to distinguish between real and fake. And to determine the level of quality by common sense but based on the analysis results of the analysis centers. General experience to buy the right type and quality of NPK fertilizer that is to buy products of large companies, reputable market. Or purchased at the sales agent of the company.

DAP fertilizer

DAP is around grain, with many different colors such as turquoise, banana green, yellow, ivory white, gray, brown, black. The quality of the fertilizer depends on the nutrient content on the packaging. Up to now, there are many cases of DAP counterfeit. Therefore, when purchasing DAP fertilizer must check the packaging clearly and nutrient content of the product …

The best address to buy high-quality fertilizer and safety

Why should you choose us?

Vietnam Fertilizer is one member website of Song Than Export and Import Co., Ltd. This company is Song Than Exim Co., Ltd and established in 9/9/2016. It is license business by Tax Department of Gia Lam District, Hanoi.

We are the wholesaler, we specialize in export and import some kinds of fertilizer. For a long time, we can develop and enhance the market. We can export the fertilizer to other countries with the high quality. Distinguishing and selection of fertilizer high quality in our company is always easy and reliable.

High technology line production in the factories we cooperate

Our main fertilizer products

Products have the best quality, best price and we also serve the customer with the best service. We have a professional team working on the website. And a great team of staffs can support customers at any time. We also have the team of experts for distinguishing and selection of fertilizer.

Our website always effort to provide for you the best agricultural news, techniques, information. The best fertilizer products in order to create an agriculture sustainably.

The products we offer are genuine high-quality products

The products we offer are genuine high-quality products, which are based on modern production lines. Products have clear packaging, labels, barcodes and accurate information. Fertilizer products have been subjected to strict quality control from the production process to the selling out. Therefore, you can rest assured that we always provide the best quality fertilizer products at the cheapest price.

Contact us

Please contact us to receive the free advisory from our team of staffs.

Hotline company: +84 973 777 132

Factory price: +84 903 201 603

Email: [email protected]

Website: songthanexim.com

The post Distinguishing and selection of fertilizer high quality for agriculture appeared first on SONGTHAN EXIM.

from SONGTHAN EXIM https://ift.tt/2P9Kfp2 via SongThan Exim

Vietnam Complex Fertilizer Market Report- Ken research

Vietnam was the largest consumer and producer of complex fertilizers in Asia and accounted for about ~% of the market in 2017. Vietnam’s complex fertilizer market is fairly concentrated with top 5 players together comprising for ~% of the market share.

 Asian countries are behind US and European countries in terms of achieving agricultural crop yield. The focus on improving crop yields has driven the demand for complex fertilizers in the Asian subcontinent over the past decade. Asia complex fertilizer market registered moderate growth during 2012-2017, growing at a CAGR of ~%, to register revenues worth USD ~ billion in 2017 as compared to USD ~ billion in 2012. Moderate growth was due to decline in consumption of complex fertilizers in certain key territories and slump in price of complex fertilizers, driven by decline in cost of raw materials in international markets. Overall, complex fertilizer production in Asia grew at a CAGR of ~% during 2012-2017, whereas consumption of complex fertilizers grew at a CAGR of ~% during the same period.

 India ranked second and comprised for ~% of the market share in 2017. Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand were other major countries utilizing complex fertilizers in Asia and accounted for ~%, ~% and ~% market share respectively in 2017. All other Asian countries together comprised for remaining ~% of the market.

NPK 16-16-8 was the most widely used complex fertilizer in Asia and accounted for ~% market share in overall complex fertilizer market in 2017. NPK 20-20-15 was the next popularly used fertilizer grade and comprised for ~% market share in 2017. NPK 15-15-15 and NPK 20-20-0 were other popularly used complex fertilizers which comprised for ~% and ~% market share respectively in 2017. All other grades/formulas of complex fertilizers together comprised for about ~% of the market share in 2017.

 Vietnamese farmers have been familiar with the use of organic fertilizers including manure and legumes for a very long time. With the introduction of superphosphate technology in early 1960s, Vietnamese farers began utilizing chemical fertilizers in conjunction with organic fertilizers to improve crop yields. Until 1970s, mainly N fertilizers were widely used and both nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers were widely used during 1970s to 1990s. Consumption of complex fertilizers began to gain traction since late 1990s and is the highest fertilizer category utilized at present. Agriculture is a key sector in Vietnam’s economy; more than 70% of the country populations are farmers.

Vietnam is dependent on imports for manufacturing of complex fertilizers as it lacks potash reserves. NPK fertilizers comprised for the largest share in overall fertilizer sector by accounting for around ~% of the overall fertilizer demand in 2017. Existence of a number of small scale complex fertilizer manufacturers has resulted in diverse quality of complex fertilizers found in the country. The average selling price of NPK is ~% higher than the selling price of Urea.

Complex fertilizer market witnessed growth at a CAGR of 2.4% during 2012-2017, inclining from USD ~ million in 2012 to USD ~ million in 2017. Decline in average selling price of complex fertilizers owing to slump in prices of key raw materials resulted in marginal incline in demand for such fertilizers during 2015-2017.

Vietnam imported about ~ thousand MT of NPK fertilizers during 2015, majorly from South Korea and Russia. Imports inclined in 2015 by as much as ~% as compared to 2014. Incline in consumption of NPK fertilizers in the domestic market coupled with decrease in price of NPKs resulted in an incline in imports of the same in 2015. Overall, imports grew marginally from ~ thousand MT in 2011 to ~ thousand MT in 2015.

South Korea and Russia were the two biggest exporters of NPK fertilizers to Vietnam as of 2015, contributing about ~% and ~% of the overall NPK imports of the country (in terms of volume). Jordan and Norway were other important import destinations amongst several other countries in 2015 and resulted in ~% and ~% of the overall NPK fertilizer imports.

 Southern region comprising of 19 first tier administrative units was the largest consumer of complex fertilizers in the country. As of 2017, the Southern comprised for about ~% market share of the overall complex fertilizer market, in terms of consumption volume. On the other hand, Northern and Central region of Vietnam accounted for ~% and ~% market share in 2017.

NPK 16-16-8 was the most widely used complex fertilizer in Vietnam and accounted for ~% market share in overall complex fertilizer market in 2017. NPK 20-5-5, NPK 7-7-14, NPK 12-5-10 and NPK 15-15-15 were other popularly used fertilizer grade which comprised for ~%, ~%, ~% and ~% market share respectively in 2017. All other grades/formulas of complex fertilizers together comprised for about ~% of the market share in 2017.

Vietnam largely produced and utilized blended complex fertilizers due to low investment required for companies for set up a blended manufacturing facility. Consumption of blended fertilizers stood at ~ Million MT in 2017, comprising for ~% market share of overall complex fertilizer consumption in the country.

 Vietnam’s complex fertilizer market is very competitive with more than ~ major NPK producers and over ~ small scale companies. The country’s domestic production has been sufficient to meet the consumption demand in the last few years. However, most NPK manufacturers operated at about ~% of their installed capacity and production is not advanced in terms of technology as majority of companies were involved in producing lower quality blended complex fertilizers. These factories are majorly located in the Southern Vietnam, followed by Northern region and very limited presence in Central region. Vietnam also imports high-quality NPK fertilizers. The market for NPK may face an even fiercer competition from foreign players; in particular from China as import duty rate has fallen from 6% to 0% since 2015, due to a set of FTA ASEAN - China agreements.

Binh Dien Fertilizer emerged as the market leader, in terms of revenue, by accounting for ~% market share in 2017. Lam Thao Fertilizers and Chemicals was the second largest player in this space and comprised for ~% market share. Some other leading players including The Southern Fertilizer Company, Japan Vietnam Fertilizer Company and Baconco Group comprised for ~%, ~% and ~% market share, respectively.

 Despite a balanced demand and supply equilibrium, domestic manufacturers keep investing in NPK projects. Several new and existing players are expected to setup new manufacturing plants or enhance the production capacity of existing sites.

For instance, Taekwnag Co. announced its plan to build a NPK plant with production capacity of ~ MT per year by the end of 2018. Petrovietnam Fertilizers is building ~MT per annum NPK plant, expected to be completed by late 2017 and commence operation in early 2018. Korea Vietnam Fertilizer co. is building a manufacturing plant with capacity of ~ MT per year, which is expected to be operational by end of 2017.

If all the projects are implemented, total supply of NPK has the potential to exceed ~% of demand. The total capacity after 2018 has been estimated to increase to almost ~ million MT per year.

Ken Research estimates the consumption of complex fertilizer to grow at a CAGR of ~% in the next five years, rising from ~ million MT in 2018 to ~ million MT in 2022. Furthermore, production of complex fertilizers is expected to grow at healthy CAGR of ~% during 2017-2022, inclining from ~ million MT in 2018 to ~ million MT by 2022.

NPK 16-16-8 was the most widely used complex fertilizer in Vietnam, recording fastest growth during the last 5 years. Going forward, utilization of NPK 16-16-8 and NPK 20-5-5 are most likely to remain strong owing to balanced nutrient composition and comparatively cheaper prices.

 Key topics Covered in the report:-

 Vietnam Blended NPK Consumption

Vietnam NPK Fertilizer Demand

Vietnam NPK Fertilizer Consumption

Vietnam NPK Fertilizer Production

Vietnam NPK Fertilizer Market

Lam Thao Fertilizers and Chemicals Sales

Binh Dien Fertilizer Best Selling Complex Fertilizer

Southern Fertilizer JSC Production Complex Fertilizer

Japan Vietnam Fertilizer Company Installed Capacity

Complex Fertilizer Installed Capacity Vietnam

Future Complex Fertilizer Vietnam

Baconco Group Market Share Complex Fertilzer

Selling Price Complex Fertilizer Vietnam

Blended NPK Sales Vietnam

Slow Release NPKs Revenue Vietnam

Water Soluble NPKs Sales Trends

For more information on the research report, refer to below link:

https://www.kenresearch.com/agriculture-and-animal-care/crop-protection/vietnam-npk-sales-research-report/143971-104.html

Related Reports by Ken Research

Asia Complex (NPK) Fertilizer Market Outlook to 2022 - by Grade (NPK 16-16-8, NPK 20-20-15, NPK 15-15-15, NPK 20-20-0 and Others), by Region (China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Others)

China Complex (NPK) Fertilizer Market Outlook to 2022 - Expected Replacement from Straight Chemical Fertilizers To Complex Fertilizers

India Complex (NPK) Fertilizer Market Outlook to 2022 - Expected Manufacturing Capacity Expansion by Domestic Manufacturers in Next 5 Years

Contact Us: Ken Research Ankur Gupta, Head Marketing & Communications [email protected] +91-124 423 0204

My Thai Times

The following post comes from Lauren Di Cesare who volunteered at Warm Heart last summer:

Photo taken on day spent in Chiang Mai with summer volunteers and Aom as our guide. (l. to r. Aom, me (inside ‘O’), James, Annaleigh, Cecilia, Sahalie, Alex)

2017 has been truly eventful: I got into the Global Scholars program at my university (Florida State), travelled halfway across the world, started my senior year, and here I am applying for jobs and preparing for graduation in a few short months. A year ago I wouldn’t have predicted all the adventures that the year would hold, especially the summer. When joining GS, I originally wanted to find an opportunity in South America so that I could improve my Spanish. But after many applications and interviews, all the organizations I was looking at were not working out for one reason or another.

So I took a leap of faith and ended up committing to an organization on the opposite side of the world – Warm Heart. Going to Asia was an idea I could not wrap my head around, so maybe things worked out because I had zero expectations. I remember arriving in Thailand, driving through the mountains from the airport and looking out the window into the endless jungle. I fell in love with the greenery. I had a sensation that I ended up exactly where I was supposed to for the time being.

Scenery behind Warm Heart’s campus

Warm Heart provided so much for me: I learned so much about sustainable agriculture, international development work and Thai culture. And I would meet some of the most inspiring, altruistic people there and left calling them good friends.

I was an agriculture intern for WH and assigned to their experimental farm now in its third year. I worked with rice crop experiments and helped promote alternative agricultural methods. My immediate supervisor was Aom, a 23-year-old project manager at WH with excellent English and who really knows how to hustle. She was my point of contact for any questions or concerns (she was also much easier to find than Michael at any given moment).

The entire experience held many challenges, revelations and lessons to be learned every day by everyone. I tediously tossed different fertilizer mixtures in the hot Thai sun to be spread in an experimental rice field in order to test which organic mixtures had the highest yields in comparison to traditional chemical fertilizers, otherwise known as NPK. Most of my time was spent mixing different ratios of manure/compost/pee and biochar. When I mixed biochar in Phrao, I usually worked alongside two big and strong middle-aged Thai women farmers whose personalities matched their physiques. They loved messing with me like having me try unripe fruits dipped in fish oil to see my reaction. Despite the language barrier, they were great company.

Laying out soil samples

Most of the summer I would work alongside a gentleman from New Zealand named Dennis who was an expert of sorts on organics and biochar. I learned so much from him and had plenty of good conversation and laughs. Dennis would eventually leave to continue his travels, but I would not be alone in my work for long and Romane, a college aged girl from France, would join me for the rest of my time there.

Romane, one of the Thai lady farmers, me

During our few weeks together Romane and I explored Phrao, ran errands, snacked on sweets and shared phrases and slang from each other’s languages. One of my favorite memories is the day we were planting rice at the experimental farm when it started to rain. After sitting under the cover for a while and getting increasingly bored, we decided to walk up the mountain behind the farm up to a pagoda. As we hiked up the steep road, we ran into a monk with a painted dog. We immediately apologized in broken Thai for disrupting his peace. Turned out this monk spoke perfect English and we ended up speaking to him about the world and our lives under a shelter for a couple of hours. Thailand provided many such moments – completely unique and priceless.

When I wasn’t in Phrao or at a farm, I worked in the volunteer office. I might be starting seeds for the campus garden, researching biochar, taking Bernie the leper dog to the vet, or helping another volunteer with a different project. There were many other projects being conducted by my wonderful fellow volunteers. All the volunteers were willing to assist other volunteers whenever asked if only to escape the routines of our own projects. Cecilia, a volunteer from North Carolina, set up recycling initiatives on campus and also worked with the surrounding community on repurposing styrofoam. I joined her one time on a visit to the local recycling plant where we talked numbers and statistics with the workers and played with the puppies that lived amongst the plastics.

Alex from NYC whose project was biochar marketing was always fun to chat with about politics, culture and life. I enjoyed accompanying him to meetings with Michael, listening to them trying to promote biochar usage in the community. The theory behind the positive health and ecological benefits of biochar is irrefutable but it’s a much tougher sell getting people to change age-old habits when they don’t see the immediate financial incentives.

Sahalie, from Utah worked with Madeline on cooking classes with the children and it was always fun helping them prep their healthy sweet snacks. Occasionally, I went on health visits with Stuart and Nit and got to interact with other people in the community outside my usual farming realm. Others came to help me with biochar tasks too – transporting bags of biochar or mixing it out in the summer sun! We all worked on a range of activities during our time at Warm Heart to keep things lively as possible.  

Photo taken after moving a hundred bags of biochar (left to right: Cecilia, Sahalie, me, Romane)

As you can tell from my post and photos, what really made my Warm Heart experience was the group of volunteers that I shared it with. We all became such good friends – someone was always up for a movie night, a walk down the dirt roads behind campus, or an excuse for a weekend in an air-conditioned hostel in Chiang Mai.

If I had one piece of advice for future volunteers, it would be to stay in the moment. That is easier said than done but it is worth the effort. Worry about preparing for your trip but know that you’ll never be fully prepared. Most of the things you really need – like patience, courage and an open state of mind – are already waiting for you in your host country. Some days will be longer than others, you may or may not get sick, you get used to the distinctive call of the tokay lizard and cold showers, and you manage to make the best of the time you have. There will be moments during your trip that will feel like you have been there for years, and whether that looks like comfort or not, embrace it.

 Happy times: one of my last nights in Thailand

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Spring planting: how to have an abundant harvest from late spring into late fall

Growing some of your own food has numerous, scientifically proven physical, emotional, and mental health benefits. To anyone who has committed to a healthy lifestyle, it’s no surprise that eating a mostly plant-based diet is better for your health and can help you avoid some common pitfalls of aging, such as developing chronic inflammation and its associated illnesses. In the United States, food gardening is at its highest levels in the past decade, with the largest growth in participation among young households.

In my book, Go Green without Going Broke, I have written in detail about some of the benefits of growing your own food, and offered advice about how to do so, even if you’ve never grown anything before. Depending on the growing zone you live in, or the equipment at your disposal, you may have already started preparing your vegetable and herb garden by sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings. Today’s post focuses on a few key strategies that I have found to be very effective for reaping an abundant harvest that starts in spring and continues throughout the fall season, producing fresh food for you to enjoy for many months to come.

One: prepare your soil well.

Photo credit: Visualhunt

Planting to ensure a good, healthy harvest starts with good soil preparation, a first step that is often overlooked. It’s not enough to put your seed or transplant into the ground; you have to make sure that your crop is going into the most optimal conditions to ensure that it will be able to not only grow, but to fight off pests and disease. Experienced growers know that planting cover crops like hairy vetch, red clover, or rye in the fall will enrich the soil with nutrients naturally. When it’s time to plant your edible crops, just pull the cover crops from the soil or better yet, clip them close to the ground and till them under the soil.

Alternatively, you can take the more expensive and labor-intensive step of adding compost or soil conditioner to the soil to enrich it.

One inexpensive shortcut I used in my beginning growing days was to till the soil first, then add earthworms. The mucus and waste released from these little creatures as they burrow through the soil contain abundant nutrients. You can also buy worm castings and add these to the soil (not cheap depending on the area you are trying to cover), but if you think ahead a little, pick up some live worms from a bait-and tackle shop to do the job for you in a week or less. Keep in mind, though, that earthworms are sensitive to changes in the soil. If you have to use chemical pesticides, do so very sparingly, or try alternative pest management techniques.

If you are container gardening, don’t’ just put soil in the pot directly from the bag (even if it says you can). Instead, to ensure adequate aeration in the soil (so it doesn’t become waterlogged, which can lead to root rot), mix with perlite or vermiculite if it doesn’t already contain these ingredients, compost, or soil conditioner. Commercial soils may contain nutrients, but these will only last a few months at most (and in many cases, these nutrients will not be adequate for your crops) Adding spent coffee grounds (which add nitrogen and are nearly Ph-neutral, contrary to those who claim it makes the soil acidic), eggshells (for calcium) and even Epsom Salts (magnesium) to your soil when transplanting will also do wonders to help your crops along as they grow.

As a general rule you should never reuse potted soil. It may contain dormant pests and microbes that will revive in the warmer months to ravage your plants. Besides that problem, the nutrients in spent soil have been depleted by whatever you grew in there before. However, there are exceptions to this general rule. To kill the pests in the soil, spread it out on a tarp, cover with plastic, and let it sit in the sun for 2-5 days (this works best in hot weather). The heat will kill most, if not all, of these pests, making it less risky to reuse the soil. And without exception, add compost, soil conditioner, or worm castings to previously used soil in order to replenish the nutrients that may have been lost in your previous planting season.

Two: prune vegetable plants you purchase from the nursery

There is still a lot of debate about the wisdom of this method, but I have found that it works well in my container gardens. Pruning transplants works best with certain kinds of plants: (indeterminate) tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and hot peppers. Most experts say that you should prune selectively, using your fingers, and only prune damaged or discolored leaves. However, I’ve spoken to at least one grower who says you can cut as much as a quarter (some would say even more) from the top of your tomato plants. This will force them to grow dense and bushy, which makes for more tomatoes for you to harvest when they are ready. Others say that pruning only increases the size of the fruit or vegetable, not the yield of the plant. There are a lot of things to consider when pruning for bigger yield, to decrease the possibility of disease, or to save space. This article from www.fix.com has some guidelines for the beginning gardener who wants to try pruning techniques.

Three: feed your plants well, and often (according to their needs)

What to feed: the generic, vegetable plant food, or special blends formulated for maximum growth? And how much of each macro-nutrient (NPK: nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium) should the food contain? This is one of the trickier questions related to growing an abundant harvest, and to be honest, I have mixed feelings on this topic, because there are a number of good choices out there. In fact, it’s easier for me to say what you shouldn’t do, especially if you are a beginning gardener.

Don’t use liquid synthetic fertilizers. You’ll likely end up using too much, and you’ll burn your plants.

I know that it’s tempting to just strap that bottle-and-nozzle on your garden hose, spray, and forget, but trust me, this is NOT the best way to have a healthy, abundant harvest. There are some good options out there that are only a little more labor intensive, and are less (potentially) harmful to your plants.

If you’re not sure how much to use, go with the slow-release granular fertilizer. I use organic fertilizer (sometimes the generic, for-all-vegetables variety, but always tomato food for my tomato plants). Work the granules loosely into the top layer of soil using a triple claw cultivator, then water. At the height of their growing season, when the weather is warm, I fertilize at least once a week for container gardening. You can go as long as a couple of weeks with in-ground gardening, although it won’t hurt the plant if you fertilize more frequently using granules. It’s easier to over-fertilize even with organic liquid nutrients, so I’d advise beginning gardeners to follow the instructions on the bottle if you go with liquid, or ask for advice from your local nursery.

Photo via Visual hunt

Some people (including myself) swear by liquid fish emulsion. I used to use this a lot when I first began growing vegetables, and had abundant yields (when I lived in Seattle and in Berkeley California). Then I stopped using it for no particular reason. This fall and I began using it again (in a 5-1-1 concentration) for my winter garden (in the metro Washington DC area, where I grow year-round outdoors), and my leafy greens have never been so tasty or so plentiful! The smell of the fish emulsion is not very pleasant, but for foliar crops like spinach, kale, and chard, it can make the difference between an ok harvest and a fabulous one. I use it once a week throughout the growth state when gardening in winter and the late fall and twice a week in the spring, summer, and early fall months.

For my non-leafy veggies (tomatoes, eggplants, green beans, etc.), we’ll see: I plan to start out with fish emulsion then switch to one of two different varieties: 1) compost tea made from worm castings and 2) a broad spectrum liquid organic fertilizer. I’m not sure which will work best, so I’ll do a little experimenting and will be sure to report my findings to you.

Four: boost your plants’ immune systems.

Admittedly, I still have much to learn about how the immune systems of plants work. But since it looks like I won’t be traveling tis summer to the world’s largest solar power plant in Ouarzazate, Morocco to do research for my book (my day job requires me to publish academic books and articles every year), I can devote more time to learning some new growing techniques.

I have been absolutely fascinated with the mechanics of plant immunology since reading about the Amish farmers who have learned how to use the immune system of plants to eliminate the need for chemical pesticides. It’s no secret that there are plenty of problems with the industrial agriculture complex, and overuse of pesticides is one of them. Every so often, commercial agriculturalists are forced to use more potent pesticides and herbicides. Sometimes these applications just can’t prevent major crop loss. They do, however, make their way into rivers, streams, and our drinking water, aside from contaminating the produce we eat.

Alternative to use/oversue of (synthetic or organic) pesticides is feeding your plants with micronutrients (beneficial microbes). These can be fed directly into the soil when watering, or applied as a foliar leaf spray. A little goes a long way and as with anything else, overuse of micronutrients will damage the plants.

This year I’m trying something new: adding EM1 Soil Enzymes and compost tea to the soil and using EM1 as a foliar spray. EM1, or (Effective Microbes 1) is a product that adds beneficial microorganisms to the soil, improving its structure and making it less hospitable to pests, pathogens, and diseases. Compost tea contains microorganizims that, when used properly, multiply rapidly, fertilizing your plants and helping them fend off diseases and pests. It offers a more potent fertilizer than adding compost to the soil will provide.

Boosting plants’ own immune systems has a lot to do with planting them in the most ideal conditions. So, once again, starting off with healthy soil is the best way to ensure an abundant harvest that is better able to withstand disease, pests, and grow to its optimal best!

Want to learn more about growing your own food? Go Green without Going Broke contains plenty of tips on how to get started, along with other advice and tools for your healthy lifestyle. Click the link below to find out more and to purchase the book.

Phenology, Thermal Time Requirement, Growth and Yield of Winter Mungbean (Vigna Radiata) as Influenced by Sowing Dates in Ganges Tidal Floodplain (AEZ-13) in Bangladesh by Khairul Bashar HM in Open Access Journal of Biogeneric Science and Research

Abstract A field study was carried out at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Rahmatpur, Barishal during the late Rabi season of 2018 in Ganges Tidal floodplain (AEZ 13). The experiment was carried out with four different sowing dates (i)            Sowing at January 15 (ii)           Sowing at January 25 (iii)          Sowing at February 05 (iv)         Sowing at February 15 under randomized complete block design with three replications to study the phenology, thermal time requirement, growth and yield of mungbean. BARI Mung-6 was used as the variety. The results revealed that mungbean sown on 15 January required the maximum days to reach maturity (87 days) whereas 15 February sown crop required the minimum days to reach maturity (71 days). The lowest accumulated GDD (Growing Degree Days) was observed at sowing on 05 February (1322.4 °C) followed by sowing on 25 January (1355.2 °C) whereas the highest accumulated GDD was observed at sowing at 15 January (1401.85 °C). The highest dry matter production at pod + flower part was sowing at 05 February (7.13g/plant) followed by sowing at 15 February (7.12g/plant) which were statistically identical, sowing at 05 February had produced the highest seed yield (1.73 tha-1) which was statistically identical to sowing at 15 February (1.70 tha-1). Keywords: Sowing date; Phenology; GDD; Dry Matter Partitioning

Introduction Mungbean (Vigna radiata) is an important component in the intensive crop production system for its short life cycle and is one of the leading pulse crops of Bangladesh. The agroecological condition of Bangladesh is favorable for growing this crop. It is a drought-tolerant crop and can be grown with a minimum supply of nutrients. Cultivation of mungbean can improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil as well as are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen by the symbiotic process with the help of micro-symbiont (Rhizobium). Mungbean has good digestibility and flavor. Mungbean contains 51% carbohydrate, 26% protein, 10% moisture, 4% minerals and 3% vitamins [1]. In Ganges Tidal Floodplain of Barishal region, 184655 ha areas are under mungbean cultivation and area coverage is increasing every year. Among the mungbean varieties, the major cultivation area is covered by BARI Mung-6 (62%) e.g. 115241 ha. Crop physiological processes dependent on integrated atmospheric parameters in which temperature is an important weather parameter that affects plant growth, development, and yield [2]. Several physiological and morphological changes occur that involve the development of root, shoot and leaves, flowering, and seed formation. Each physiological and morphological characteristic may affect yield in many ways, the net effect of which depends on other characteristics, on environmental conditions, and agronomic practices. Plant morphological characteristics and yield-forming components must be better understood if maximum yields are to be realized and exploited. Sowing time, a non- monetary input, is an important factor to influence yield [3]. Depending on sowing dates crop faces variable temperatures, rainfall, and relative humidity, etc. which affect crop phenology, growth, and yield. Temperature is a major environmental factor that determines the rate of plant development. The phenological stages of mungbean are mainly related to temperature. Mungbean being a tropical and a sub-tropical crop requires warm temperature regimes (24 to 30°C with average temperature 28 °C) for its growth but can tolerate high temperatures up to 40°C. This temperature requirement for different developmental stages is known as thermal time or growing degree days (GDD). Sowing dates induced temperature variability may change the duration of phenophasic development. The duration of each phenophase determines the accumulation and partitioning of dry matter in different organs as well as grain yield. To understand the physiological basis of yield difference of mungbean, it is essential to quantify the components of growth, and the variation, if any, may be utilized in crop improvement. Climate change has deleterious effects on crop production in terms of the period of maturity and yield. From the last few years, the change in climate has been observed by Swaminathan and Kesavan (2012), which may adversely affect the phenology and production of crops [4]. With a successful study on these thermal indices may provide the information on the crop phenology and approximate date of crop harvest. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to evaluate phenological changes, growth, and yield of mungbean under variable sowing dates.

Materials and Methods 1.1. Description of the Study Area The experiment was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Rahmatpur, Barishal at Ganges Tidal Floodplain ecosystem (AEZ-13) during the late Rabi season of 2018. The research station is situated in the southern part of Bangladesh and located at 220 42″ N Latitude to 900 23″ E Longitude at an altitude of 4 m from mean sea level (MSL). The climate of the locality is sub-tropical. It has characterized by high temperature, high humidity, and heavy rainfall during the Kharif season (April to September) and low rainfall associated with moderately low temperatures during the rabi season (October to March). The water balance is negative from November to April. The study area is a piece of well-drained medium high land with even topography. The area belongs to the agro-ecological zone of the Ganges Tidal Floodplain under AEZ- 13. The texture of the soil is clay loam in nature with low organic matter content (0.54-2.58) and a pH value of 6.8-7.2. These areas are slightly saline (0.65-1.90 dS/m), with some pockets being non-saline. 1.2.  Treatments and Experimental Design The experiment was conducted in a single factor randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were as follows: Different sowing dates: (i) sowing at January 15 (ii) sowing at January 25 (iii) sowing at February 05 (iv) sowing on February 15. The unit plot size was 5m x 5m. Initially, the experimental area was divided into three blocks to represent three replications. Each replication contained four plots. Block to block and plot to plot distance was 1m and 0.5m respectively. BARI Mung-6 was selected as the variety. The experimental field was fertilized with 18-30-36-18 NPKS Kg/ha as a basal dose. Yield and different yield contributing characters were measured at harvest.

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Response of Cotton Plant to Fertilization Sources and Foliar Spraying with Humic Acid- Juniper Publishers

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Abstract

Background and objective: Two field experiments were carried out on clay loam soil at El-Gemmeiza Agricultural Research Station, El-Gharbia Governorate, Egypt for the two successive seasons of 2017 and 2018, using the Egyptian cotton cultivar Giza 86 (Gossypiumbarbadense L.).

Methodology: These experiments were conducted to study the effect of three sources of fertilizers (mineral NPK, organic manures i.e. cattle manure and phytocompost manure) and foliar spraying with two humic acid rates (2.5cm3/l and 5cm3/l) three times(at squaring stage, at flowering initiation and at the top of flowering) and control (without humic acid application) as well as their interaction on cotton leaf water relations, photosynthetic pigments and chemical composition, growth, earliness traits, seed cotton yield and its components and fiber quality. A split plot design with three replicates was used in both seasons.

Results: Source of fertilizers had a significant effect on TWC, LWD, RWC, OP and plasma membrane integrity in leaves of cotton plants in both seasons, where the cotton plants fertilized by cattle manure caused an increase in TWC as well as RWC and leaves chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids content in both seasons, leaves total carbohydrates, total sugars, N, P and K % and significantly decreased LWD, OP and plasma membrane integrity, the activity of peroxidase and phynoloxidase and proline concentration in leaves of cotton plants when compared with the control plants. Cattle manure significantly increased total bolls set/ plant, boll setting %, and 1st picking percentage in both seasons. Also, source of fertilizers exhibited significant differences in number of open bolls/plants, boll weight and seed cotton yield per feddan in both seasons, where the heaviest bolls and highest number of open bolls/plants, and seed cotton yield per feddan in both seasons, resulted from plants fertilized with chemical fertilizers and from plants fertilized with cattle manure without significant differences between these two sources, while plants fertilized with organic fertilizer in the form of phytocompost had the lowest values. Foliar feeding with humic acid either at the low or the high rate recorded a significant increase in TWC, RWC and leaves chemical compositions i.e., total carbohydrates, total sugars, nitrogen %, phosphorus % and potassium % and recorded a significant decrease in LWD, OP, plasma membrane integrity, the proline and enzymes activity (peroxidase and phynoloxidase) in leaves of cotton plants when compared with the untreated plants. Humic acid treatments gave a significant effect on plant height at harvest, number of fruiting branches/plant, boll setting % and 1st picking percentage, number of open bolls/plant, boll weight and seed cotton yield/feddan in both seasons, in favor of foliar feeding with humic acid at a rate of 5cm3/l three times (at the squaring stage, flowering initiation and at the top of flowering) but untreated plants gave the lowest values of these traits and gave the highest value of boll shedding % in both seasons. Plants fertilized by cattle manure and received humic acid at the high rate (5cm3/l) significantly increased leaves TWC, RWC, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids content in both seasons, leaves total carbohydrates, total sugars, N, P and K% contents. Also, this interaction significantly increased plant height at harvest, in the second season and significantly decreased LWD, OP, plasma membrane integrity, the activity of peroxidase and phynoloxidase and proline concentration in leaves of cotton plants, when compared with the control plants which fertilized by mineral NPK.

Conclusion: It could be recommended that, the use of organic manurein the form of cattle manure interacted with humic acid application on cotton plants led to increase the productivity of cotton plants in terms of quantity and quality.

Keywords: Foliar feeding; Humic acid; Egyptian cotton; Fertilizers; agriculture

Abbreviations: TWC: Total Water Content; LWD: Leaf Water Deficit; RWC: Relative Water Content; OP: Osmotic Pressure

    Introduction

On the way of clean agriculture, the use of organic amendments such as animal manures i.e. cattle manure or Phytocompost in farming have many advantages i.e. reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and build biologically diverse agriculture, effective means of improving soil structure and its fertility, where they are excellent source of macro and micro nutrients which are plant-available and their addition to soil could increase activity and microbial population. In addition, the use of organic manures reduces hazards from nitrate leaching into groundwater compared to those from inorganically fertilized. In addition to the high cost of chemical fertilizers, use of chemical fertilizers constantly lead to decline soil chemical and physical properties, biological activities and thus, overall, the total soil health. Thus, the undesirable impacts of chemical fertilizers, coupled with their high prices, have prompted the interest in the use of organic fertilizers as a source of nutrients. The massive application of chemical fertilizers has created serious problems due to pollution with nitrates and N volatilization such as soil degradation, water pollution, air pollution and environmental problems related to phosphate fertilizer i.e. the phenomenon of eutrophication and the accumulation of cadmium in the soil and plants due to the presence of cadmium in phosphate fertilizer, where its accumulation in the leaves increases the amount of cadmium in the human food meal, where this element is highly toxic to humans. It accumulates in the kidneys and liver and ultimately in the bones, there for there is a danger unexpectedly large for the food chain [1].

For these reasons, the world is becoming aware of the need to cultivate cotton in an ecological or organic way [2]. In this concern, cattle manure seems to act directly in increasing crop growth and yields either by accelerating respiratory process with increasing cell permeability and hormonal growth action or by the combination of all of these processes which supplies N, P and S in available form to the plants via biological decomposition and improves physical properties of soil such as aggregation, permeability and water holding capacity [3], mineral fertilizers have the merit of being readily soluble in soil solution, less bulky and easy to manipulate but their constitution in most cases does not include the much needed essential minor elements as compared to cattle manures which meet this requirement [4].

In addition to the high cost, uses of mineral fertilizers constantly lead to decline soil chemical and physical properties, biological activities and thus, overall, the total soil health. Thus, the undesirable impacts of chemical fertilizers, coupled with their high prices, have prompted the interest in the use of organic fertilizers as a source of nutrients. Cattle manure is a decayed mixture of the dung and urine of cattle or other livestock with the straw and litter used as bedding and residues from the fodder fed to them. The nitrogen in the manure is subject to volatilization and leaching losses and the material that finally will be spread on the field may have low nitrogen content. The application of well-decomposed manure is more desirable than using fresh materials [5] and [6].

Using the organic substances for minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers Humic acid might show anti-stress effects under a biotic stress conditions such as unfavorable temperature, salinity, pH, etc., the functional groups of humic substance include carboxyl, phenolic hydroxyl, alcoholic hydroxyl, ketone and quinoid [7]. Humic substances are well known as stimulators of plant growth [8]. HA increases membrane permeability and facilitates transport of essential elements within plant roots [9]. Humic application to plants under normal and salt stress conditions could induce salinity tolerance of cotton plants and in turn improved plant growth, fruiting and yield particularly under salt stress and high temperature conditions [10]. [11] found that foliar spraying of humate 5cm3/L three times increase plant tall, number of sympodia and open bolls per plant, weight of boll and yield of seed cotton per fed. [12] Reported that, humic acid are referred to as humic substances and are used as fertilizer amendments as foliar spray.

Plant height, first hand cotton seed yield, number of bolls and sympodial branches and total seed cotton yield affected by humic acid application. Humic acid application had no significant effect on ginning percentage and quality properties such as fiber length, fiber fineness and fiber strength. [13] indicated that humic acid (HA) application significantly increased leaf area per plant, plant height, number of fruiting branches per plant, dry weight and chemical constitutes either inorganic, N, P and K, while Na, Cl, Ca and Mg were decreased, or organic constitutes e.g. proline, total free amino acids, total sugars, total soluble phenols, chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll and total carotenoids. As a result of promoting growth induced by previous foliar applications, yield components e.g., numbers of total and open bolls/plant, seed cotton yield/ plant, seed index and lint percentage were increased. [14] reported that foliar application with potassium humate (Potassium humate 85% + Potassium 8% + Fulvic Acid 3%) with 5cm3/liter gave the highest averages of yield and its components. Therefore, this study aimed to study the effect of using organic manures sources and humic acid as a natural material on cotton leaf water relations, photosynthetic pigments and chemical composition, growth, earliness traits, seed cotton yield and its components and fiber quality.

    Materials and Methods

Area of study and sampling

Two field experiments were carried out at El-Gemmeiza Agricultural Research Station, El-Gharbia Governorate, Egypt for the two successive seasons of 2017 and 2018, using the Egyptian cotton cultivar Giza 86 (Gossypiumbarbadense L.). These experiments were conducted to study the effect of three sources of fertilizers (mineral NPK, cattle manure and phytocompost manure) and three humic acid rates (0, 2.5cm3/l and 5cm3/l) as well as their interaction on cotton leaf chemical composition and water relations, growth, earliness traits, seed cotton yield and its components and fiber quality. A split plot design with three replicates was used in both seasons.

The main plots were assigned to fertilizers source as followings:

a. a1- Mineral fertilizer: The recommended NPK rate (100%), i.e. 45kg N,22.5kg P2O5 and 24kg K2O.

b. a2- Phytocompost manure as a source of organic phytomanure.

c. a3- Cattle manure as a source of organic animal manure.

The sub-plots contained the humic acid (in the form of actosol) rates of:

a. b1- Without humic acid application (control treatment).

b. b2- Foliar spraying with humic acid at the rate of 2.5cm3/ liter water three times.

c. b3- Foliar spraying with humic acid at the rate of 5cm3/ liter water three times.

Humic acid (in the form of actosol®)* as a foliar spraying on cotton leaves using hand operated sprayer compressed at a low volume of 200 liter per feddan. The lower leaf surface was sprayed until wetted as well as the upper surface.

*Humic acid is the active ingredient of actosol product, the natural organic fertilizer. The different constituents of actosol as reported by [15] were illustrated in Table 1. The preceding crop was Egyptian clover (Trifoliumalexandrinum L.) “berseem” from which one cut was taken and sugar beets(Beta vulgaris L.) in the first and second seasons, respectively.

Mineral fertilizers application

Phosphorus fertilizer was added as calcium super phosphate (15.5% P2O5) at a rate of 22.5kg P2O5/fed during land preparation. Inorganic nitrogen fertilizer was applied as ammonium nitrate (33.5% N) at a rate of 45kg N/ fed in two equal portions after thinning and at the next irrigation. Potassium fertilizer in the form of potassium sulphate (48% K2O) was applied as soil application at a rate of 24 kg K2O at the first N dose application. Before planting, surface (0-30cm) soil samples were analyzed according to [16] and the results are depicted in Table 2.

Organic manures application

The two organic manures were analyzed before use according to [17] and the amount used of each manure was determined according to its total nitrogen content and were incorporated with ridges after ridging and before sowing at a rate of 45kg N/fed. The results of their properties are shown in Table 3. The sub- plot size was 14 m2, (3.5m x 4m) including 5 ridges 70 cm apart and the hills 25cm apart with two plants/hill after thinning. Sowing date was 8 April in both seasons. The other cultural practices were carried out as recommended for conventional cotton seeding in the local production district.

Studied characters

Ten leaves (fourth upper leaf) were randomly taken from plants of each plot after two weeks from the last spraying of humic acid to determine the following traits.

Water relations: Total water content (TWC, %) [18] and [19], leaf water deficit (LWD, %), relative water content (RWC, %) [20], osmotic pressure [18], plasma membrane integrity [21].

Photosynthetic pigments: The photosynthetic pigments were extracted from fresh leaf sample (fourth upper leaf) by 85% acetone and determined according to the method described by Wettestein’s formula in [22].

Chemical analysis: Total carbohydrates and total sugars were determinate using the phenol sulfuric acid method as described by [22]. Antioxidant enzymes activities as peroxidase and phynoloxidase were determined according to [23] and [24]. Proline concentration was measured according the ninhydrin method of [25]. N, P and K were determined as a described by [22].

Growth: plant height at harvest (cm) and number of fruiting branches/ plant.

Earliness traits: number of total flowers/plant number of total bolls/plant, boll setting percentage, boll shedding percentage and first picking percentage.

Seed cotton yield and its components: number of open bolls per plant, boll weight (g), limit percentage and seed index (weight of 100 cotton seeds in grams).The seed cotton yield per feddan was estimated as the weight of seed cotton in kilograms picked twice from each-sub plot and transformed to kentars per feddan (one kentar = 157.5kg)

Fiber quality: Samples of lint were collected from each treatment at each replicate to determine the following characters at the laboratories of Cotton Research Institute, ARC, under standard conditions of test as reported by [26]: fiber length (2.5% span length in mm) and uniformity index (%) were determined by fibrograph instrument, fiber fineness (micronaire reading), it was determined by Micronaire instrument and fiber strength (Pressley index), it was determined by Pressley instrument.

Statistical analysis: The statistical analysis of the obtained data in the two seasons was done and performed according to [27] using M State-C microcomputer program for split plot design, and the treatments means were compared using LSD at 0.05.

Results

Water relations

The data in Table 4 showed that, the cotton plants fertilized by cattle manure caused an increase in TWC as well as RWC and decrease in LWD, OP and plasma membrane integrity in leaves of cotton plants, when compared with the control plants (Mineral fertilizer). The second season is the same of the first one. In the same table, the high level of humic acid (5cm2/l) recorded a significant increase in TWC and RWC and recorded a decrease in LWD, OP and plasma membrane integrity in leaves of cotton plants, when compared with the control plants.

The same increase in TWC and RWC was recorded at the all interactions between compost and Cattle manure with humic acid. And the same interactions caused a significant decrease in LWD, OP and plasma membrane integrity in leaves of cotton plants. The higher increase in TWC and RWC and the lowest values of LWD, OP and plasma membrane integrity in leaves of cotton plants throw the interactions was recorded at Cattle manure interacted with humic acid at the high level. The results of the second season are the same of the first one.

Photosynthetic pigments

The illustrated data in Table 5 cleared that, the cotton plants fertilized by compost as well as cattle manure increased the values of leaves chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids contents in both seasons. Whereas, the greatest values of leaves plant pigments contents were recorded in leaves of cotton plants fertilized by cattle manure. On the same side, the all levels of humic acid significantly increased leaves concentration of chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids as compared with the control in both of seasons. The highest increase of chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids content in cotton leaves were obtained as a result of foliar spraying of humic acid level at 5.0cm3/l.

In the same table, the interaction between the compost and Cattle manure with humic foliar applications recorded an increase in chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids at all levels.

Data in Table 6, showed that, the leaves chemical contents of cotton plants which fertilized by compost as well as cattle manure increased the leaves total carbohydrates, total sugars, N%, P% and K%. Meanwhile, the activity of peroxidase and phynoloxidase and proline concentration were decreased as a result of compostand cattle manure treatments when compared with the control plants. Whereas, at cattle manure fertilizer produced the higher concentration of leaves chemical contents as total carbohydrates, total sugars, N%, P% and K% by about53.96, 52.74, 44.74, 33.33 and 27.02% respectively.

The highest valuesof total carbohydrates, total sugars, N, P and K % content in cotton leaves throw the interactions were recorded at cattle manure fertilizer interacted with humic level 5 cm3/l followed by cattle manure fertilizer interacted with humic level 2.5 cm3/l respectively, when compared with the control plants. The results in the second season are the seamed of the first one.

When regard to the chemicals content and were recorded in Table 6, the results cited that, the humic acid levels had a significant increase in leaves chemical compositions i.e., total carbohydrates, total sugars, nitrogen %, phosphorus % and potassium %. Meanwhile, the proline and enzymes activity (peroxidase and phynoloxidase) were recorded a low concentration as a result of hmic acid treatments when compared with the untreated plants. The highest increase of total carbohydrates, total sugars, N, P and K% content in cotton leaves were obtained as a result of foliar spraying of humic acid at 5cm3/l as compared with the control plants.

Results in the second season (Table 7) revealed that compared to the control (the recommended mineral fertilizer), the application of cattle manure as organic fertilizer resulted in significantly taller plants in the second season followed by application of of mineral fertilizers (control). While, shorter plants were obtained from plants which received phytocompostas organic manure. However, the differences in number of fruiting branches/plant did not reach the level of significance in both seasons.

Results in Table 7 show that, humic acid treatments exhibited significant differences in plant height at harvest and number of fruiting branches/plant in the second season only. Compared to the control (untreated plants), the plants received humic acid at the high rate (5cm3/l water) three times in the second season. significantly increased plant height at harvest and number of fruiting branches/plant at harvest followed by the plants received humic acid at the low rate (2.5cm3/l water) three times. The differences in plant height at harvest and number of fruiting branches/plant due to humic acid application may be attributed mainly to the differences in average inter node length and/or number of main stem internodes.

The interaction between source of fertilizers and humic acid treatments (A x b) for plant height at harvest was significant in both seasons (Table 7), in favor of mineral fertilized plants without humic acid application in the first season and in favor of cattle manure fertilized plants which received humic acid as foliar spraying at the high rate (5cm3/l water) three times. While, plants fertilized with phytocompost manure or with mineral fertilizer without humic acid application produced the shortest plants in the first and second seasons, respectively. Regarding number of fruiting branches/plant, the interaction gave significant effect on this trait in the second season only, in favor of cattle manure fertilized plants which received humic acid as foliar spraying at the high rate (5cm3/l water) three times.

Earliness traits

Concerning the effect of the fertilization sources on number of total flowers/plant, number of total bolls set/plant, boll setting %, boll shedding % and 1st picking percentage, the results in Table 8 show that the differences among the three sources reach the level of significance for number of total flowers / plant in the second season only, in favor of mineral source, for number of total bolls set/plant, boll setting %, and 1st picking percentage in both seasons, in favor of cattle manure. While, the lowest number of total bolls set/plant, boll setting %, and 1st picking percentage and the highest boll shedding % were obtained from phytocompost manure in both seasons.

Humic treatments gave significant effect on boll setting % and 1st picking percentage in both seasons (Table 8), in favor of foliar feeding with humic acid at the high rate following by the low rate and at last untreated plants without significant differences between the two former treatments. Also, the two rates of humic acid had pronounced effect on number of total flowers/plant and number of total bolls set/plant in both seasons, but untreated plants gave the lowest values of these two traits and gave the highest value of boll shedding % in both seasons. The interaction gave insignificant effect on these traits during the two seasons of study (Table 8).

Seed cotton yield/feddan and its components

Concerning the effect of fertilizers source on number of open bolls/plant, results in Table 9 show that, source of fertilizers exhibited significant differences in number of open bolls/plant in both seasons (Table 9), where the highest number resulted from plants fertilized with cattle manure in the first season and from plants fertilized with chemical fertilizers in the second season without significant differences between this treatment and the former treatment in both seasons., while plants fertilized with organic fertilizer in the form of phytocompost had the lowest number in both seasons. Fertilizers source exhibited significant differences in seed cotton yield per feddan in both seasons (Table 9). The highest seed cotton yield per feddan (9.53 and 9.54, 11.76 and 11.63 kentar) were obtained from plants which fertilized with mineral fertilizers and cattle manure in the first and second seasons, respectively without significant differences between these two sources then it considerably decreased as a result of using phytocompost manure.

Significant differences were found among the three humic acid treatments as for number of open bolls/plant and boll weight in both seasons (Table 9), in favor of foliar feeding with humic acid at a rate of 5cm3/l three times followed in ranking by foliar feeding with humic acid at a rate of 2.5cm3/l three times and untreated plants (control). The positive effect due to humic acid is due primarily to the significant increase in number of fruiting branches/ plant in the second season and boll setting percentage in both seasons. The significant increase in boll weight due to humic acid application over the control is mainly referring to the little increase in both seed index and lint percentage.

Regarding the effect of humic acid treatments with regard to seed cotton yield/fed, results in Table 9 show that seed cotton yield/fed was significantly affected by humic acid treatments (without, 2.5cm3/land 5.0 5cm3/l) in both seasons, where foliar feeding with humic acid in the form of actosolat a rate of 5.0g/l three times [at the squaring stage, flowering initiation and at the top of flowering] significantly out- yielded humic acid at the low rate (2.5cm3/l) and the control (untreated plants). The increase in seed cotton yield/fed obtained by humic acid application at the high rate (5.0cm3/l) was about 13.59% and 27.64% over the control (untreated plants) in the first and second seasons, respectively and by 4.06% over humic acid at the low rate (2.5cm3/l) in the second season.

The interaction between source of fertilizers and humic acid treatments (A x b) had a significant effect on boll weight in the second season only (Table 9), in favor of mineral fertilized plants and cattle manure fertilized plants which received humic acid as foliar spraying at the high rate (5cm3/l water) three times and gave insignificant effect on number of open bolls/plant and seed cotton yield/fed in both seasons.

Fiber traits

Source of fertilization significantly affected fiber length and uniformity index in the second season only (Table 10), where the longest fibers and highest uniformity index were obtained from phytocompost manure followed by cattle manure. However, the shortest fibers and the lowest uniformity index were recorded by mineral fertilization (the control treatment). Micronaire reading and fiber strength were insignificantly affected by source of fertilization.

Untreated plants and foliar feeding with humic acid at the high rate (5cm3/l water) three times significantly increased fiber length and uniformity index in the second, but the lowest values resulted from humic acid at the low rate (2.5cm3/l water). The interaction gave significant effect on fiber length and uniformity index in the second season only, in favor of organic manures when combined with the humic acid or without humic acid application.

Discussion

The balance of water relations in plant cells of cotton plants and treated with organic manure, humic acid and their interaction is refer to the good water absorption and plant cells contains of good concentrations of N, P and K. [28] reported that the hormone- like activity of HA, which is indicated as concentration-specific improved absorption of mineral nutrients because of increases in cell permeability and [29] found that foliar feeding with humic acid (5cm3/L) caused a significant increase in total water and relative water contents in leaves of cotton plant in both seasons. However, foliar feeding with humic acid (5cm3/L) caused a significant reduction in osmotic pressure and the plasma membrane permeability of cotton plants in both seasons. The increase in chlorophyll a, b and carotene which refer to the application of cattle manure and phytocompost could be attributed to increasing N in leaves.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient in creating plant dry matter as well as many energy rich compounds which regulate photosynthesis. There is an optimal relationship between nitrogen contents in the plant and CO2 assimilation. In this concern, [30] the highest chlorophylls content obtained from the application of organic manure (sheep manure compost) at rate 30kg N+30kg N mineral and sprayed with kinetin treatment. [31] on cotton plants, humic acid as a foliar application increase organic constitutes e.g., chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll and total carotenoids. [32] results indicated that the highest seed yield, straw yield and oil yield were obtained at humic acid (50kg/fed) with foliar treatment of proline at rate of (100mg/L).

This may be due to the significant increase in photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids and total pigments) of flax shoots. In this regard, [33] stated that humic acid could sustain photosynthetic tissues and [13] indicated that humic acid increased chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll and total carotenoids, [29] found that foliar feeding with humic acid (5cm3/l) gave the highest values of leaves concentrations of photosynthetic pigments i.e. chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll in both seasons and carotenoids in the second season and the lowest values were obtained from untreated plants (without natural materials application). [34] found that MI + GS (manure incorporated before planting and gliricídia applied on the surface days after planting) increased N, P, and K accumulation in cotton. [31] on cotton plants, cited that, humic acid as a foliar applications increase chemical constitutes related to salt tolerance either inorganic, (N, P and K), or organic constitutes e.g., proline, total sugars. [32] results indicated that the highest seed yield, straw yield and oil yield were obtained at humic acid (50kg/fed) with foliar treatment of proline at rate of (100mg/L). This may be due to the highest total soluble sugar content of flax shoots. In this concern, [13] indicated that humic acid increased chemical constitutes of inorganic nutrients (N, P and K), total sugars and total soluble phenols, [35] pointed out that HA-treated plants showed improved nutritional status as compared to untreated plants. [29] Found that foliar feeding with 5cm3/L humic acid significantly increased percentages of N, P and K in leaves in both seasons. Foliar feeding with humic acid (5cm3/L) gave the highest values of leaves concentrations of total carbohydrates and total sugars in both seasons and the lowest values were obtained from untreated plants (without natural materials application). Applying 5cm3/g humic acid gave the lowest values of proline content, peroxidase and phenoloxidase activity in leaves in both seasons and at last untreated plants, which indicates favorable conditions and reduces environmental stress effect. The positive effect on leaf chemical composition due to the foliar feeding with humic acidis mainly referred to:

Application of humic acid in the form of actosol through foliar spraying increased the uptake of N, P and K (Table 6).

Humic acid (in the form of actosol) enriched the leaves with appreciable amount of N, P, K, Cl, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu and B (Table 1).

Humic acid have the ability to retain micro nutrients in a complex or chelate forms through their active groups, and consequently improve the plant nutrition status [36].

The results in the same table showed that, the chemical constituents were decreased at the all interactions except the interaction between cattle manure fertilizer with humic levels 2.5 and 5cm3/l. The higher increase in total carbohydrates, total sugars, N%, P% and K% was recorded at cattle manure fertilizer interacted with humic level 5cm3/l respectively, when compared with the control plants.

The superiority of humic acid over the other treatments could be attributed to the stimulatory effects of humic acid on increasing chlorophyll and chemical concentration in leaves, it might be also attributed to the low pH value, as well as increasing the activity of soil micro-organisms to liberate more nutrients from the unavailable reserves [32]. [37] stated that, the increase in berry size because of HA-S application at full bloom is probably ascribed to the uptake of mineral nutrients by the grapevines, but the possible hormone like activity of the HA-S (i.e., auxin, gibberellin and cytokinin- like activity) should also be taken into consideration. HA found to promote soil water holding capacity and reduce watering requirements for plants [38].

Some studies reported that HA could be used as a growth regulator to regulate hormone level, improve plant growth and enhance stress tolerance [39]. Moreover, [40] reported that humic substances prevented immobilization of Fe and P and facilitated their translocation from roots to shoots. In addition, [41] suggested that humic substances exert two types of effects in relation to plants;

a. Indirect effects through acting as suppliers and regulators of plant nutrients similar to synthetic ion exchangers.

b. Direct effects through uptake of humic substances by plant roots.

This result is mainly due to that organic fertilizer sources in the form of cattle manure or phytocompost manure had a high macro and micro nutrients as shown in Table 3. Also, these two organic sources significantly increased leaves total carbohydrates, total sugars, N%, P% and K% (Table 6). In this regard, [42] reported that compared to the control (60kgN/fed), farm yard manure (FYM) gave the highest values of final plant height and number of fruiting branches/plant and [43] found that final plant height and number of fruiting branches/plant significantly increased in favor of applying 12m3 FYM/fed + 30kg N/fed as compared with the control (60kg N/fed).

growth could be explain as follow

a. Enhancing plants water and nutrition absorption capacity due to humic acid application [44].

b. Humic acid contains higher macro and micro nutrients (Table 1) in addition to increase uptake of N (Table 6) which is essential for building up protoplasm and protein as well as induce cell division, which resulted in an increase in cell number and cell size with an overall increase in plant growth.

c. Humic acid increases photosynthesis pigments (Table 5) and could sustain photosynthetic tissues and thus total dry weight would increase [33].

d. Humic acid stimulates nucleic acid metabolism, the hormonal activity, enzyme activation, changes in membrane permeability, protein synthesis, the activation of biomass production and plant growth by the assimilation of major and minor elements, In addition to, the influence of HA on respiration and photosynthesis. These factors that have been used to describe the effect of HA on plant growth parameters [45].

e. Humic acid increases plant growth, production, and quality improvement through chelating different nutrients to overcome the lack of nutrients and due to having hormonal compounds [46].

f. Humic substances are assumed to have specific importance for the transport and availability of micro and macro-elements in the plants [47].

In this concern, [48] found that plant height and number of fruiting branches/plant were significantly increased by application of humic acid solution compared with control treatment in both seasons, [13] indicated that humic acid (HA) application significantly increased plant height and number of fruiting branches per plant, [35] pointed out that plants treated with humic acid showed improved photosynthetic efficiency, WUE and nutritional status compared to untreated plants and [29] found that the plants received humic acid significantly increased plant height and number of fruiting branches/plant at harvest in both seasons.

due to that

The high leaves NPK percentages (Table 6) due to cattle manure application are directly linked to boll retention, either by themselves or as activators of nutrient concentrations in addition to the nutrients content in the cattle manure compound which surely reflected on increasing bolls set and improving plant metabolism which increases boll setting and encouraging plant to accumulate more of its total dry weight in fruiting parts and this is coincided with higher boll retention/plant and reduced abscission by mobilizing nutrients to fruiting organs.

to that

The high leaves NPK percentages due to humic acid application are directly linked to boll retention, either by themselves or as activators of nutrient concentrations in addition to the nutrients content in the humic acid compound which surely reflected on increasing bolls set and improving plant metabolism which increases boll setting and encouraging plant to accumulate more of its total dry weight in fruiting parts and this is coincided with higher boll retention/plant and reduced abscission by mobilizing nutrients to fruiting organs. [29] found that boll setting percentage and 1st picking percentage were found to improve considerably by applying humic acid (5cm3/L) while untreated plants produced the lowest boll setting percentage and 1st picking percentage and the highest boll shedding % in both seasons. The significant increase of open bolls/plant which resulted from the former and latter treatments is due mainly to significant increase boll setting percentage as compared with the plants fertilized with organic fertilizer in the form of phytocompost. Also, source of fertilizers exhibited significant differences in boll weight in both seasons (Table 9), where the heaviest bolls resulted from plants fertilized with chemical fertilizers in the first season and from plants fertilized with cattle manure in the second season, while plants fertilized with organic fertilizer in the form of phytocompost had the lowest value.

The significant increase in seed cotton yield per feddan of mineral fertilizers and cattle manure as compared with phytocompost manure is mainly due to the following reasons

a. The promoting effect of cattle manure source on leaves total carbohydrates and total sugars contents (Table 6) due to its promoted effect on leaves photosynthetic pigments content, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids (Table 5), which reflects on the increase of photosynthetas.

b. The significant increase of N, P and K percentages in leaves refer to cattle manure (Table 6).

c. Cattle manure contains large amount of nutrients (Table 3) and influences plant growth and production via improving chemical, physical and biological fertility.

d. Mineral fertilizers and cattle manure sources produced highest number of open bolls and heaviest bolls (Table 9).

e. Under increasing or reducing water above or less the optimal requirement, levels of photosynthesis was limited by low CO2 availability due to reduced stomatal and mesophyll conductance and thereby with decreased CO2 fixation.

f. Cattle manure source provided cotton plants with the higher absorption of nutrients (Table 6) and water (Table 4) leading to production of higher growth and productivity.

In this concern, Mineral fertilizers have the merit of being readily soluble in soil solution, less bulky and easy to manipulate but their constitution in most cases does not include the much-needed essential minor elements as compared to cattle manures which meet this requirement [4], the importance of cattle manure is being recognized because of the increased cost of mineral fertilizers from time to time. Cattle manure is a potential source of organic fertilizer. Cattle manure seems to act directly in increasing crop growth and yields either by accelerating respiratory process with increasing cell permeability and hormonal growth action or by the combination of all of these processes which supplies N, P and S in available form to the plants via biological decomposition and improves physical properties of soil such as aggregation, permeability and water holding capacity [3]. Retaining more bolls and reducing boll shedding % (Table 8).

The positive effect of humic acid application at the high rate (5.0cm3/l) on seed cotton yield/ fed and its components is mainly due to

a. The positive effect of HA on photosynthetic pigments (Table 5) which reflects in significant increase in production of assimilates by the leaves (source) due to an increase in CO2 assimilation and photosynthetic rate which increased mineral uptake by the plant [49].

b. The stimulatory effect of HA due to increase permeability of plant membranes (Table 4) and enhance uptake of nutrients (Table 6) by building complex forms or chelating agents of HA matter with metallic cations, thereby increasing their availability to plants [50].

c. The positive effect of Humic Acid on cell membrane functions by promoting nutrient uptake, respiration, biosynthesis of nucleic acid, ion absorption, enzyme and hormone-like substances [51].

d. [52] postulated that HA increases the permeability of the cell membrane which results in increased uptake of moisture and nutrient elements.

e. Humic acid in the form of actosol improves the supply of essential nutrients such as potassium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron, calcium, nitrogen and phosphorus etc. that enhance the resistance to adverse conditions.

f. The high leaves nitrogen content due to humic acid application (Table 6) makes these plants utilized of the absorbed light energy in electron transport and tolerant to photo-oxidative damage under high intensity light and consequently increases photosynthesis capacity.

g. Enhanced the chlorophyll content reflecting from their role in enhancing leaf nutritional status (Table 6) especially, N as an important part of chlorophyll molecule.

h. Humic acid decreased cell membrane permeability, thus promoting greater efficiency in the absorption of nutrients with direct relation on cotton growth and productivity and improve the plant response to water stress.

i. Humic acid may have various biochemical effects either at cell wall level or in the cytoplasm including in plants enhanced protein synthesis and plant hormone-like activity, which resulted in increasing boll weight.

j. Humic acid may interact with the phospholipids structures of cell membranes and react as carries of nutrients through them.

k. This result could be explained on the basis that experimental soil being low in organic matter and available nitrogen (Table 2) and the supplied of humic acid increased leaves NPK content (Table 6) and the ingredients contained in actosol provided plants with their requirements of macronutriens (Ca, Mg, K, N and P) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu).

l. Retaining more bolls and reducing boll shedding % (Table 8).

Thus, it is clear that applying foliar spraying with humic acid (in the form of actosol) three times at a rate (5.0cm3/l) could be considered as the proper rate for Giza 86 cotton cultivar under the environmental conditions of El-Gemmeiza region, where the yield per feddan was very close from this treatment.

Conclusion

It could be concluded that it is better to substitute mineral NPK fertilizers added to the soil by applying cattle manure as source of organic fertilization in combined with foliar feeding with humic acid (in the form of actosol) as source of natural materials at a rate (5.0cm3/l) three times (at squaring stage, at flowering initiation and at the top of flowering) to achieve the maximum quantity and quality of cotton production with minimum environmental pollution.

Acknowledgment

We extend our sincere thanks to all the employees of Botany Department, Agriculture Faculty, Menoufia University, Egypt and Cotton Physiology Department, Cotton Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt. Including our professors and colleagues for their support and help me in ending this work.

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