Studies on the effect of repeated application of human and cattle urine on soil properties, growth and yield of vegetable crops
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Date
07-04-12
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru
Abstract
In order to find the ways and means of utilizing human urine and cattle
urine as liquid fertilizer for crop production and to assess the effect on soil properties,
growth and yield of vegetable crops, experiments were carried out under laboratory, field
and green house conditions from 2009 to 2011. The urine from persons of different age
group and diet and different categories of cattle was characterized and changes in
chemical composition when incubated under open and closed conditions was mentioned.
Field experiment was conducted in farmer’s field with ashgourd, french bean, pole bean
and pumpkin as test crops and 14 treatment combinations at Nagasandra village,
Doddaballapur, Bangalore rural district to study the effect of repeated application of
human urine and cattle urine on soil properties, growth and yield of vegetable crops. In a
green house experiment effect of higher doses of human urine and cattle urine on growth
and yield of tomato in red, laterite and black soils was studied. The fresh urine from
persons of vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet and of different age groups and of different
categories of cattle were acidic in reaction, had appreciable amount of soluble salts,
primary and secondary and micronutrients. Urine from non-vegetarians had more
nutritive value when compared to vegetarians. Upon incubation, nitrogen concentration
decreased but there was no much variation in phosphorus and potassium concentration.
The pH of urine samples of all category turned to alkaline reaction with time. In the field
experiment, application of recommended dose of nitrogen through human urine in three
split doses plus gypsum recorded higher yield (39.2, 14.2, 17.4 and 38.7 t ha-1, for
ashgourd, french bean, pole bean and pumpkin grown sequentially), growth and yield
parameters, nutrients uptake, soil available nutrients, soil microbial population and B:C
ratio as compared to other treatments. In the green house experiment, application of 2
times the recommended dose of N through human urine to red and laterite soils recorded
higher tomato fruit yield (3.6 and 3.4 kg plant-1, respectively), growth and yield
parameters, quality components, nutrients uptake, soil available nutrients and soil
microbial population as compared to other treatments. In black soil, all these components
were found significantly higher in treatment receiving 2 times the recommended dose of
N through chemical fertilizers as compared to other treatments.
Description
Keywords
biological phenomena, livestock, crops, gypsum, nitrogen, fertilizers, beans, fruits, harvesting, vegetables