The Effects of Fertilizer Type and Application Time on Soil Properties, Plant Traits, Yield and Quality of Tomato

Muhammad Hasnain, Jiawei Chen, Nazeer Ahmed, Shumaila Memon, Lei Wang, Yimei Wang and Ping Wang
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Muhammad Hasnain: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Jiawei Chen: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Nazeer Ahmed: Department of Agriculture Sciences, University of Swabi, Anbar 23561, Pakistan
Shumaila Memon: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Lei Wang: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Yimei Wang: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
Ping Wang: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: Compost is considered to be superior fertilizer for soil quality and productivity, and is commonly used with chemical fertilizer. The optimal mixed ratio of compost with chemical fertilizer and the best application time is necessary to know for sustainable agriculture practices and management. Compared to the control treatment, this study comprehensively evaluated the effects of four mixed ratios of compost with chemical fertilizer, two nitrogen application times of chemical fertilizer, and their interaction on the soil properties, plant traits, yield, and quality of tomato plants. The soil properties, plant traits, and yield of tomato with all compost-mixed fertilizers performed better than the treatment without fertilizer. Furthermore, the amounts of available nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, plant weight, and yield in a 30% chemical fertilizer + 70% compost treatments (CF30) were even better than those with pure chemical fertilizer (CF100). No significant effect of nitrogen application time and its interaction with the mixed ratio treatment was detected, and the quality of fruit remained consistent among treatments. This study demonstrated a suitable practical application method for cow manure compost as a nutrient source in tomato crop production under silty loam soil.

Keywords: cow manure compost; chemical fertilizer; yield attribute; soil quality; sustainable agriculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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