EFFECT OF MANURES AND NITROGEN LEVELS ON SOIL PROPERTIES, PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF BIDI TOBACCO CV. GT-9 GROWN ON Typic ustochrept
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Date
2007
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Publisher
AAU, Anand
Abstract
The investigation was carried out under middle Gujarat agroclimatic
condition at the Bidi Tobacco Research Station, Anand during the
years 2003-04 and 2004-05 on loamy sand soil at different two sites viz.,
upland light soil referred to as ‘light soil’ and low land light soil referred to
as ‘lowland’ with a view to study the productivity and quality of newly
released Bidi Tobacco cv. GT-9 as well as soil properties as influenced by
manures and nitrogen levels. The low land area was chosen to compare
with upland as this variety has been reported to perform better in low land
condition of soils in farmers’ fields.
The experiments comprised of combinations of A - main plot:
organic manure (i) No organic manure (M1), (ii) Green manuring with sunn
hemp (M2), (iii) FYM @ 10 t ha-1 (M3) and (iv) Castor Cake @ 1 t ha-1 (M4)
and B - Sub Plot: Three levels of nitrogen [180(N1), 220(N2) and 260(N3)
kg ha-1], where nitrogen in each treatment was given through ammonium
sulphate (25%) and urea (75%). Topping was done at 20 leaves. The
experiment was laid out in a split plot design with four replications.
Based on pooled results of both the experimental sites, there was
significant yield improvement under green manuring with sunn hemp (M2),
FYM @ 10 t ha-1 (M3) and Castor cake @ 1 t ha-1 (M4) over (M1) no organic
manure. The per cent increase in the cured leaf yield due to M2, M3 and M4
over the control (1734kg ha-1) in the ‘light soil’ was 26.6, 25.1 and 15.3,
respectively. The corresponding figures for the “low land” were 15.8%,
9.2% and 11.7% respectively, the yield due to control being 2249kg ha-1.
Between the two sites, lowland soil gave (2605kg ha-1) nearly 18.7 per cent
higher cured leaf yield than light soil (2195kg ha-1). However, no specific
reason could be found. The effect of different levels of nitrogen on cured
leaf yield as well as yield attributing characters was not significant under
both the soil conditions. So, minimum dose of nitrogen (180 kg ha-1) could
be the optimum.
The cured leaf samples were analyzed for quality characters (total-N,
nicotine, reducing sugars, chloride, total carbonyl, total volatile acids and
bases as well as TSNA (Tobacco specific nitrosoamines).
In general, nitrogen and nicotine contents were higher with M3 and
reducing sugar content was lower with M4.Other quality parameters were
favourably influenced or not significantly influenced by one or the other
manure treatments but none of the treatment had an adverse effect. Same
thing was true for N levels and M x N interaction.
The influence of manures and nitrogen levels was also studied on
some physico-chemical and biological properties of soils. Observations on
bulk density, water holding capacity, pH, EC, organic carbon, available P,
K, S and Zn and microbial biomass carbon were recorded. While
favourable influence of one or the other treatment (M, N or M x N) on the
soil properties was observed, none of the manure studied had adverse
effect. No single manure could be attributed as better than others based on
their effect on soil properties.
From the results of the present investigation, it may be concluded
that any one of the three manures tested in the study i.e. FYM @ 10 t ha-1,
manuring of sunn hemp or castor cake@ 1t ha-1 along with 180kg N ha-1
can be adopted for maintaining productivity and quality of bidi tobacco cv.
GT- 9 as well as fertility of Typic Ustochrept (Inceptisol) soil (preferably
‘low land’) of middle Gujarat looking into the availability and economics at
the village level.
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Keywords
agriculture, soil science, agricultural chemistry, study