ABSTRACT

Sustainable cotton production is under threat due to poor soil health, exhaustive nature of cotton crop in terms of depleting soil fertility and conventional farming practices. Hence, we investigated the role of soil amendments like biochar, poultry and farmyard manures with synthetic fertilizers to improve the soil mineral nutrients uptake, cotton productivity and overall reduction in nutrients losses. Two year field experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of soil amendment of biochar, poultry and farmyard manures with synthetic fertilizers in improving the soil fertility and cotton productivity under arid climate of South-Punjab, Pakistan in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Experimental findings showed that highest values of soil available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and soil organic matter (SOM) were recorded with the soil incorporation of 5 Mg ha⁻¹ poultry manure (PM) with 80:45:30 kg ha⁻¹ NPK which was followed by soil incorporation of 10 Mg ha⁻¹ farmyard manure (FYM) with 80:45:30 kg ha⁻¹ NPK and soil incorporation of 3.5 Mg ha⁻¹ biochar (BC) with 80:45:30 kg ha⁻¹ NPK and ultimately improved soil fertility. Similarly, highest values of plant height, leaf area index (LAI), monopodial, sympodial branches and total bolls plant⁻¹, boll weight, seed cotton and biological yield were recorded with amendment of 5 PM Mg ha⁻¹ with 80:45:30 kg NPK ha⁻¹ which was followed by 10 Mg FYM ha⁻¹ with 80:45:30 kg NPK ha⁻¹ and soil incorporation of 3.5 Mg BC ha⁻¹ with 80:45:30 kg NPK ha⁻¹ and ultimately improved cotton productivity. Conclusively, soil incorporation of biochar, poultry and farmyard manures with synthetic fertilizers as integrated nutrient management strategy might be a promising adaptation strategy for improving soil mineral nutrients uptake, cotton productivity and overall reduce the nutrients losses under arid environmental conditions

摘要

由于土壤健康状况不佳、棉花作物在耗尽土壤肥力和传统耕作方式方面的枯竭性质，可持续棉花生产正受到威胁。因此，我们研究了土壤改良剂（如生物炭、家禽和农家肥）与合成肥料的作用，以提高土壤矿质养分吸收、棉花生产力和总体减少养分损失。进行了为期两年的田间试验，以随机完整区组设计 (RCBD) 评估在巴基斯坦南旁遮普省干旱气候下使用合成肥料对生物炭、家禽和农家粪肥进行土壤改良对提高土壤肥力和棉花生产力的影响。实验结果表明，土壤有效氮（N）、磷（P）、^-1家禽粪便 (PM) 和 80:45:30 kg ha ^-1 NPK，然后土壤掺入 10 Mg ha ^-1农家肥 (FYM) 和 80:45:30 kg ha ^-1 NPK 和土壤掺入3.5 Mg ha ^-1 biochar (BC) 与 80:45:30 kg ha ^-1 NPK 并最终提高土壤肥力。类似地，在 80:45修正 5 PM Mg ha ^{-1 的情况下}，记录了植物高度、叶面积指数 (LAI)、单足、共足分枝和总铃植株^-1、铃重、籽棉和生物产量的最高值： 30 kg NPK ha ^-1，然后是 10 Mg FYM ha ^-1和 80:45:30 kg NPK ha ^-1和土壤掺入 3.5 Mg BC ha ^-1与 80:45:30 kg NPK ha ^-1并最终提高棉花生产力。综上所述，生物炭、家禽和农家肥与合成肥料的土壤结合作为综合养分管理策略可能是改善土壤矿质养分吸收、棉花生产力和整体减少干旱环境条件下养分损失的一种有前景的适应策略