scholarly journals Effects of Cultivating Rice and Wheat with and without Organic Fertilizer Application on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Soil Quality in Khost, Afghanistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6508
Author(s):  
Rahmatullah Hashimi ◽  
Eri Matsuura ◽  
Masakazu Komatsuzaki

The agricultural sector is the most important economic component in Afghanistan, as 80% of the population is involved. The improvement of cereal production is an urgent task to meet the nation’s demand for the staple within the limited arable land. To promote a sustainable crop production system, this study examined the soil quality to learn the basic knowledge of soil fertility and the environmental impact of different rice–wheat cropping systems in Khost, Afghanistan by using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The economic analysis of each farming system was conducted by the data gathered by the farmers’ interviews along with LCA data collection. The analysis considered the on-farm activities, which were required to produce 1 kg of wheat and rice. It included energy use, production, and farming inputs such as fertilizer and agrochemicals. Conventional farming with organic fertilizer application (CF+OF) was compared with conventional farming (CF). The LCA results showed the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission was higher in rice production compared to wheat production. However, CO2 absorption by the crops was far greater than the total GHG emission in both systems and showed great potential for soil carbon sequestration for mitigation of global warming. The soil examination revealed the CF+OF system increased soil total carbon (TC), active C (AC), total N (TN), soil organic carbon storage (SCS), P, and K+ after four years of organic fertilizer application. The yield of each crop was slightly higher in the CF system; however, the CF+OF system increased net income by reducing the cost for fertilizer. The study concluded the CF+OF system can improve soil fertility in the long term while saving the farming operation cost. Further research is required to determine the best combination of practices to improve cattle manure characteristics and farm management for soil carbon sequestration to promote a sustainable farming system in the country.

Author(s):  
P. H. Kopytko ◽  
◽  
R. V. Yakovenko

The issue of scientifically sound fertilizer application in fruit plantations, which are long-term and re-grown in one place remains insufficiently studied. To solve this problem is possible only in long-term stationary studies, as the impact of different fertilizer systems on changes in soil properties and tree productivity for a long period of their use. The results of researches of long-term fertilizer influence on the main fertility indices of dark gray podzolic heavy loam soil and productivity of repeatedly grown apple trees of Idared varieties on seed and vegetative (M4) rootstocks and Calville snow on seedling rootstock are considered. During the 85-year period of growing the first and second generation of apple trees in the experimental garden, the organic fertilizer (40 t/ha of cattle manure), mineral fertilizer (N120P120K120) and their combination (20 t/ha of manure + N60P60K60) were applied in the old plantation every two years in autumn in plowing in rows at 18–20 cm, and in the new repetition: manure, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers as well, and nitrogen fertilizer in half doses annually in spring for cultivation or disk plowing to a depth of 12–15 cm. As a result of research it was found that organic fertilizer better than mineral fertilizers provided the formation of soil fertility (humus and mobile compounds and forms of nutrients, soil reaction) and yield capacity of experimental apple trees, which for all years of fruiting exceeded the total yield of Calville snow and Idared on seedling and vegetative rootstocks, respectively, by 34.8, 27.7 and 23.4 % compared with the yield of the control non-fertilized areas and 16.0, 15.8 and 13.2 % – on those fertilized with N120Р120К120. Similar parameters of soil fertility indicators are formed by the organo-mineral fertilizer system with systematic long-term application of half the norms of organic and mineral fertilizers of manure 20 t/ha together with N60P60K60. However, the mineral system (N120P120K120) significantly less increases the humus content and content of macronutrients available for plant nutrition and does not enrich the soil with trace elements, acidifies the reaction of the soil environment


2020 ◽  
Vol 165 ◽  
pp. 03057
Author(s):  
Dan Shan ◽  
Jingli He ◽  
Hao Rong ◽  
Tiegang Zhang

The dump site formed by the large-scale open-pit coal mining waste piles has poor soil environment and difficult vegetation restoration, and is in the grassland area with relatively weak ecological environment. A completely randomized block design was used to conduct separate application of microbial fertilizer and the combined application of microbial fertilizer and organic fertilizer in this study. The results showed that “Sino Green Agri-Biotech” soil conditioner combined with organic fertilizer had a higher plant biomass by comparing different fertilization methods, the plant biomass increased with the increase of microbial fertilizer application. The RSR (Rank Sum Ratio) method was used to analyze the comprehensive benefits of different fertilization methods from the aspects of microbial community diversity, soil enzyme activity, soil fertility, vegetation growth status and economic benefits. Evaluation results showed that application of microbial fertilizer had an important role in increasing soil fertility and accelerating vegetation construction the combined benefit of E-2001 microbial fertilizer application rate of 0.60 ml/m2 and organic fertilizer was the highest, priority can be given to the process of ecological restoration on coal mine dump in grassland. It is preferred to use a combination of E-2001 microbial fertilizer application rate of 0.60 ml/m2 and organic fertilizer in the soil improvement process of vegetation restoration and reconstruction in the grassland mining area.


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