TITLE:
Response of Salt-Tolerant Rice Varieties to Biocompost Application in Sodic Soil of Eastern Uttar Pradesh
AUTHORS:
Akhtar H. Khan, Ashok K. Singh, Mubeen , Sudhanshu Singh, Najam W. Zaidi, Uma S. Singh, Stephan M. Haefele
KEYWORDS:
Biocompost; Narendra usar 3; NDR 359; Salt-Tolerant Varieties; Sodic Soil
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.1,
January
7,
2014
ABSTRACT: Sodic soils have immense productivity potential, if managed through
proper technology interventions. Biocompost is prepared by composting pressmud
(a sugar industry byproduct) received from cane juice filtration and spent wash
received from distilleries through microbial aerobic decomposition and can be
used to reclaim sodic soils. Field experiments were conducted during the wet
season of 2011 and 2012 to study the effect of incorporation of biocompost in
sodic soil with four treatments: T1—Control, T2—Biocompost at 2 t ha-1,
T3—Biocompost at 4 t ha-1 and T4—Biocompost at 6 t ha-1.
The two promising salt tolerant rice varieties preferred by farmers, Narendra
usar 3 and NDR 359 were used as test crops, which can produce yields ranging
between 2-4 t ha-1 in soil having a pH range of 9.2 to 10.5. Among the different doses of
biocompost tested, application of biocompost at 6 t ha-1 registered
highest yields, enabled by a higher biomass, ear bearing tiller (EBT), and
grain fertility in both varieties. Narendra usar 3 was more responsive to
treatments even at lower doses of biocompost than NDR 359, but NDR 359 yielded
slightly higher than Narendra usar 3 in all treatments. Soil health was also
improved evidently on better fertility
and low soil pH and EC at harvest. Thus, biocompost can be considered as a commercially
viable, environmentally acceptable and practically enforceable option for
improving the crop productivity and soil fertility status.