Effects of Farmyard Manure and Inorganic Fertilizer Application on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Nutrient Balance in Rain-Fed Lowland Rice Ecosystem
- 1 Amhra Region Agricultural Research Institute, Ethiopia
- 2 Haramaya University, Ethiopia
- 3 ICARDA, Ethiopia
- 4 Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Ethiopia
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of combined application of farm yard manure (FYM) and inor ganic NP fertilizers on soil physico-chemical properties and nutrient balance in a rain-fed lowland rice production sys tem in Fogera plain, northwestern Ethiopia. The study was carried out during the main cropping seasons of 2010 and 2011. Twenty-seven treatments comprising a factorial combination of three rates of FYM (0, 7.5, and 15 t·ha -1 ), three rates of nitrogen (0, 60, 120 kg·N·ha - 1 ) and three rates of phosphorus (0, 50 and 100 kg·P 2 O 5 ·ha - 1 ) were tested. The experiments were laid out as a randomized complete block design with three replications. Bulk density, organic matter content, and available water holding capacity, total N, and available P of the soil were measured just after harvesting the rice crop. Results showed that application of 15 t·FYM·ha - 1 significantly increased soil organic matter and available water holding capacity but decreased the soil bulk density, creating a good soil condition for enhanced growth of the rice crop. Application of 15 tFYM·ha - 1 increased the level of soil total nitrogen from 0.203% to 0.349%. Combined application of 15 t·ha - 1 ·FYM and 100 kg·P 2 O 5 ·ha - 1 increased the available phosphorous from 11.9 ppm to 38.1 ppm. Positive balances of soil N and P resulted from combined application of FYM and inorganic N and P sources. Applica tion of 15·t ha - 1 ·FYM and 120 kg·N·ha - 1 resulted in 214.8 kg·ha - 1 ·N positive balance while application of 15 t·ha - 1 ·FYM and 100 kg·P 2 O 5 ·ha - 1 resulted in a positive balance of 69.3 kg·P 2 O 5 ·ha - 1 available P. From the results of this experiment, it could be concluded that combined application of FYM and inorganic N and P fertilizers improved the chemical and physical properties, which may lead to enhanced and sustainable production of rice in the study area.
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