Impact of Green Manure, Mineral and Bio Fertilizers on Soil Fertility, Onion-maize Productivity and N-use Efficiency

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Soils, Water and Environment Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

SOIL fertility was and still one of the most important factors controlling the productivity of crops. A field experiment was conducted at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Egypt to assess the effect of green manure, bio-N fertilizer and mineral nitrogen fertilizer on some soil properties, mineral nitrogen fertilizer efficiency (i.e., N-use efficiency) and yield of onion (in winter season 2015/2016) following by maize (in summer 2016). Treatments included bio-N-fertilizers, mineral nitrogen fertilizer and green manure. The results showed that using all green manures (i.e., Egyptian clover and fenugreek) before planting onion significantly developed soil properties; increased availability of the studied nutrients and total porosity. Inoculations with bio-fertilizer maximize these effects on soil properties and yield of onion and maize. Interaction between fenugreek with bio-fertilizer and mineral N-fertilizer at 120 kg fed-1 attained the highest values of total onion yield, averages of bulb weight, diameter, dry matter content and nutrients-uptake of NPK in the first season after green manure application. After cultivation of maize, the highest values of grain and dry stalks yields, 100-grain weight and NPK-uptake were obtained with the interaction of Egyptian clover with bio-fertilizer and N-fertilizer at 90 kg fed-1. The use of Egyptian clover as green manure with bio-fertilizer increased N-use efficiency for onion at 60 kg N fed-1 and for maize grain yield was at 120 kg N fed-1. So, the study concluded importance of using green manures to improve soil properties and use efficiency of mineral nitrogen fertilizer.

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