Potential supplies and use efficiencies of nutrients from different organic wastes under tomato cultivation

Abstract

Abstract : Imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers without replenishment of organic matter has lead to deterioration of soil health and fertility. This study was done to quantify the effects of household waste (HW), poultry manure (PM) and cow dung (CD) on tomato yield, potential supplies and use efficiencies of nutrients and improvement of soil fertility using 11 treatments in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Except the control and recommended fertilizers (RD), remaining nine treatments were composed of HW. PM and CD where each of the wastes was applied at the rates of 2,0, 3.0 and 4.0 kg m"2. In waste treated plots nutrients were supplemented by inorganic fertilizers to make amount of nutrients equal to RD treatment. The treatments containing HW, PM and CD produced significantly higher yield of tomato over the RD treatment. Application of HW 4 kg and CD 3 kg m'2 produced the maximum 22 t tomato ha'1. Different levels of wastes significantly increased carbon and nutrients in soils and the potential supplies of N, P and K were high enough, which indicated the fertility enhancement of soil. The nutrient use efficiencies were within the normal range and higher in some cases. The recovery efficiencies of N, P and K were found significantly different among treatments where N ranged from 25 to 47, P 10 to 21 and K 28 to 96%. Internal use efficiency of N ranged from 37 to 41, P 361 'to 390 and K. 45 to 49 kg oven dry tomato kg:1 nutrient uptake.