Rehabilitation of Problem Soils Through Environmental Friendly Technologies - I: Effect of Sesbania (Sesbania Aculeata) and Farmyard Manure PDF

Keywords

Environment, organic manure, problem lands, improvement, reclamation

Abstract

Environmental problems due to land degradation in the developing countries have been a matter of great concern for the decades. The rehabilitation of problem lands has been through many chemical means and engineering approaches, that have resulted in enhancing the gravity and the magnitude of the problems. The present studies were undertaken to examine the role of environmental friendly practices to address the salinity issue. The effect of organic manuring (green manure and farmyard manure) on rice (Oryza sativa) was investigated in a field study on a saline-sodic sail of the Saline Agriculture Research Station, Sadhuke, Pakistan. Sesbania was grown as a green manuring crop for two months and then incorporated into the soil. Farmyard manure (FYM) was applied at rates of 0.5, 10 and 20th before the sowing of sesbania. Rice, Cv. Basmati 385, was used as the indicator/test crop. Results revealed that both paddy and straw yields were significantly improved by the application of sesbania and FYM Green manuring with sesbania improved the paddy and straw yield by 15.4% and 14.5% respectively. Productive tillers were also increased by the application of FYM but differences were not significant between 10 and 20tha of FYM application FYM application also improved the paddy and straw yield significantly. The increases in paddy yield due to application of S. 10 and 20tha of FYM were 6.8%, 24.4% and 37.6% over control, respectively. Nitrogen and phosphorus utilization by rice were also significantly improved with the application of green manure. Nitrogen uptake by rice (grain+straw) was increased by 17.8% and that of phosphorus by 21.9% with the green manuring. Nitrogen uptake was significantly increased by the application of different rates of FYM. Also phosphorus uptake was increased significantly with the application of FYM.