Evaluating the Fertilising Potential of Blended Recovered Nutrients in Horticultural Growing Medium on Viola x wittrockiana L.

Viola x wittrockiana L. is an ornamental plant in high demand in horticulture. It is becoming more critical for greenhouse growers to focus on sustainable production to enhance plant quality while reducing negative environmental impacts. Therefore, assessing the effect of recycled phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) sources on the growth of viola could become very useful for producers in terms of sustainability. This experiment analysed the optimal fertiliser composition to grow viola using recovered fertilisers in a greenhouse trial under controlled conditions. Well-rooted viola plugs were grown in a standard peat-based growing medium. Using recycled sources of P and N as struvite and potassium struvite, ammonium sulphate, and ammonium nitrate, 14 fertiliser blends were prepared, tested, and compared with the slow-release commercial fertiliser Osmocote. Plants treated with ammonium nitrate showed healthy growth and optimal plant N concentrations. In contrast, most blends using the recovered ammonium sulphate resulted in an unacceptable increase of ammonium concentrations in the growing medium. The combination of ammonium sulphate and potassium sulphate caused an increase in the electrical conductivity in the growing medium, negatively affecting plant growth. However, blend 13 containing struvite, ammonium sulphate and potassium struvite expressed the best chemical composition with non-significant differences in the biomass from the positive controls, as it reduced the amount of potassium sulphate needed. Our results indicate that fertiliser blends containing P as struvite, N as ammonium nitrate or reduced amount of ammonium sulphate, and K as potassium struvite can substitute the use of mineral fertiliser blends to grow ornamental plant species as viola.

The application of vapour equilibrium technique to control suction to study the shrinkage and water retention of compacted Claystone-Bentonite mixtures

Understanding soil shrinkage and retaining water is essential for learning more about the possibility of cracking of liner. Moreover, the factors that influence it are also important to know to improve the material tested as hazardous waste liners. The vapour equilibrium technique is widely used to control suction of compacted soils experiencing drying-wetting phenomena. It is considered to be inexpensive, simple, and has the ability to adequately control the suction applied to soil samples. This paper, therefore, describes its application in studying the shrinkage and water retention in compacted claystone-bentonite mixtures. This involved using five saturated salt solutions including potassium sulphate (K2SO4), potassium chloride (KCl), sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium carbonate (K2CO3), and magnesium chloride (MgCl2.6H2O). The sample was allowed to be in equilibrium with the relative humidity salt solution and a calliper was used to measure the dimensions every day up to when this was achieved. The results showed the bentonite in the mixture affects the amount of shrinkage and water retention while the sample’s initial moisture content was also found to be very influential on the magnitude of the primary and residual shrinkage. Moreover, the sample’s ability to hold water was almost the same without differentiating the initial water content at a total suction of more than 41084.91 kPa.

The application of ammonium sulphate and amino acid on cotton: effects on can improve growth, yield, quality and nitrogen absorption

A field study was carried out to determine the influence of foliage applied plant growth promoter and retardant in improving soil applied sulphur fertilizer use efficiency in cotton during two consecutive summers 2014 and 2015. Experimental trial comprised of three different sources of sulphur (ammonium sulphate, potassium sulphate and elemental sulphur) and foliar spray of plant growth promoter and growth retardant including tap water was taken as control. Among treatments soil applied ammonium sulphate with foliage applied amino acid produced maximum plant height, sympodial branches, pods per plant, seed cotton yield, fiber yield, biological yield, protein contents, oil contents and leaf nitrogen uptake as compared to the other treatments. Whereas, soil applied potassium sulphate with foliar spray of mepiquat chloride on cotton significantly improved the boll weight and leaf potassium uptake. We conclude that soil applied ammonium sulphate and foliage spray of amino acid was more effective in improving the productivity and quality attributes of cotton.

Comparative evaluation of sulphur sources on growth, yield and quality of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Sulphur is a prime nutrient in Allium crops. Garlic fertilization with ammonium-based sulphur fertilizers in low pH soils is being practiced by farmers that culminate the soil acidity, which has an adverse effect on plant growth. Hence a field experiment was conducted at Horticultural Research Station, Woodhouse farm, Ooty, the Nilgris in 2021 to evaluate the appropriate sulphur sources and their levels for garlic at acidic hilly soil using four sulphur sources viz., potassium sulphate, magnesium sulphate, zinc sulphate and ammonium phosphate sulphate and three levels viz., 0, 40, 60 kg ha-1. Garlic variety Ooty 2 was used as test crop. The results revealed that application of magnesium sulphate @ 60 kg ha-1 produced the highest plant height, leaf numbers, clove numbers bulb-1, neck thickness, polar diameter, equatorial diameter, the weight of 10 cloves, fresh weight, dry weight and bulb yield (16.78 t ha-1) of garlic. Quality parameters viz., total soluble solids, ascorbic acid and total phenols of garlic bulbs were improved by the application of potassium sulphate @ 60 kg ha-1. Sulphur source of Magnesium sulphate had a minimal effect of rendering acidity to soil measured in terms of pH (4.74) and exchangeable acidity (0.22 meq 100 g-1). Hence, the promising source for acidic hilly soil and garlic crop was found to be magnesium sulphate @ 60 kg ha-1 followed by potassium sulphate @ 60 kg ha-1. This particular investigation focuses not only on yield improvement but also on maintaining soil quality of the area.

Effects of Chicken Manure and Plantain Peel-Based Fertilization on Kalenda Eggplant (Solanum melongena L) Fruit Biochemical Parameters

Our study aims at improving the nutritional quality of eggplant fruits through application of organic fertilization. The study was conducted in Bingerville (located in the south of Côte d'Ivoire and west of Abidjan city), from April to August 2019. The work consisted in assessing, in a randomized complete block design, the effects of five manures on the biochemical parameters of Kalenda eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) fruits. The manures studied were T1: chicken manure, T2: chicken manure + plantain peel compost, T3: chicken manure + plantain peel potash, T4: plantain peel compost, T0: no fertilizer, T5 (positive control): NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4). The results showed that fiber, protein, lipid, sodium and iron contents were not influenced by the different treatments. However, treatments T5 (NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4)), T4 (plantain peel compost), T3 (chicken manure + plantain peel potash) and T2 (chicken manure + plantain peel compost) induced the highest carbohydrate and energy content of fruits. With respect to phosphorus and potassium, treatments T5 (NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4)), T4 (plantain peel compost) and T3 (chicken manure + plantain peel potash) had higher phosphorus values than those of other fertilizers T2 (chicken manure + plantain peel compost), T1 (chicken manure) with an average of 27; 26.58 and 25.491 mg per 100 g FM, respectively. Plants grown on the sites fertilized with chemical treatment T5 (NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4)) produced the fruits richest in potassium with an average equal to 255.16 mg per 100 g FM, followed by treatment T3 (chicken manure + plantain peel potash) (245.5 mg/100g FM). For magnesium and calcium, treatments T3 (chicken manure + plantain peel potash) and T5 (NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4)) were characterized by the lowest contents, thus reflecting an antagonism between potassium and these minerals. From this study, it appears that plantain peel applied as an organic fertilizer on eggplant is a source of potassium, phosphorus, carbohydrates and energy for a good nutritional balance of the body.

Vegetative Growth and Ion Relations in Soybean with Potassium Sulphate Application under Saline Environment

Aims: To evaluate the effect of K2SO42- application on growth of soybean cultivars besides chemical parameters under salt stress. Study Design: Laid out the experiment in Complete Randomized Design in triplicates. Analyzed the data statistically by using the statistical software Statistix 8.1. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Soil Salinity and Bio-saline Research green house and in the laboratory of Land Resources Research Institute at National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad (under PARC), Pakistan for three months. Methodology: To study germination parameters under salt stress, NaCl was used @ 0, 100, 120 and 140 mmol L-1. At seedling stage, interactive effect among salt stress (0 and 4.5 dSm-1), potassium sulphate (KS) application @ 10 mmol L-1 and soybean (Cvs. NIBGE-301 and NIGBE-158) was recorded for growth and ion relations. Results: Germination, biomass, bio vigor, mass vigor and sap vigor of the seedlings and ion relations were affected highly significantly (p≤ 0.01). Under interactive effect of KS and salt stress at vegetative stage, Na+/K+ in the plants declined with KS application. Sulphur and phosphorus concentration in the plants changed under the same conditions. Conclusion: Induced salt stress revealed germination, seed bio vigor, seeding mass vigor, and seedling sap vigor seedling and other vegetative parameters of soybean cultivars. Potassium sulphate application revealed genotypes differential response to ion relations and growth under salt stress. NIBGE-301 was more tolerant to salt stress and more responsive to potassium sulphate application than NIGBE-158.