Impact of Green Manuring on Health of Low Fertility Calcareous Soils

Asifa Naz, Ansa Rebi, Raheela Naz, Muhammad Usman Akbar, Ana Aslam, Amina Kalsom, Abid Niaz, Muhammad Ibrar Ahmad, Shahrish Nawaz, Rizwana Kausar, Baber Ali, Muhammad Hamzah Saleem and Jinxing Zhou ()
Additional contact information
Asifa Naz: Soil and Water Testing Laboratory, Khushab 41000, Punjab, Pakistan
Ansa Rebi: Jianshui Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Raheela Naz: Soil Chemistry Section, Institute of Soil Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Punjab, Pakistan
Muhammad Usman Akbar: Department of Applied Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Punjab, Pakistan
Ana Aslam: Soil Chemistry Section, Institute of Soil Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Punjab, Pakistan
Amina Kalsom: Soil Chemistry Section, Institute of Soil Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Punjab, Pakistan
Abid Niaz: Soil Bacteriology Section, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Punjab, Pakistan
Muhammad Ibrar Ahmad: Soil and Water Testing Laboratory, Sargodha 40100, Punjab, Pakistan
Shahrish Nawaz: Soil and Water Testing Laboratory, Sargodha 40100, Punjab, Pakistan
Rizwana Kausar: Soil and Water Testing Laboratory, Sargodha 40100, Punjab, Pakistan
Baber Ali: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Lahore, Pakistan
Muhammad Hamzah Saleem: College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Jinxing Zhou: Jianshui Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: This study was conducted in a rice-based cropping scheme to investigate the impact of green manuring on soil health, considering soil physicochemical properties and sustainable crop production. A field experiment was started on 2 November 2015 and completed on 15 April 2018 under a rice–berseem ( Trifolium alexandrinum ) cropping system in calcareous soil. Two green manuring patterns, rice–berseem and rice–wheat–sesbania ( rostrata ), were compared with a commonly practiced rice–wheat ( Oryza sativa-Triticumaestivum ) cropping pattern. Green manuring of the berseem crop (last cutting) along with 50, 75, and 100% of the recommended fertilizer doses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) were compared with recommended NPK fertilization along with control (no fertilizer). The plant growth parameters of rice, including plant height, tillers per plant at maturity, and yield data, were recorded at harvest. The pre-sowing soil analysis revealed that the experimental soil was low in salts, and the nutrient (NPK) status was very low. The results indicated that green manuring substantially enhanced the grain and straw yield of rice crops. Green manuring combined with 75% of recommended NPK produced the highest grain yield (5.83 t ha −1 in year III) compared to the other treatments. The soil analysis showed that the bulk density was reduced while soil porosity, organic carbon, and N, K, and P contents were significantly improved. From the results of this study, it is recommended that under calcareous soil conditions, the regular use of green manuring can significantly improve crop growth, yield, and physicochemical properties of soil and, therefore, should be adopted by farmers.

Keywords: green manuring; fertility; organic matter; bulk density; porosity; Pakistan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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