Abstract
A field trial was conducted on an inceptisol to assess the effect of different bio-manures on sugarcane yield, cane quality, and changes in soil physico-chemical and microbial properties in plant–ratoon system. Seven treatments, viz. control, vermicompost, farmyard manure (FYM), biogas slurry, sulphitation pressmud cake (SPMC), green manuring with intercropped Sesbania, and recommended dose of NPK (150:60:60 kg ha−1), were randomized within a block and replicated three times. Improvement in bulk density and infiltration rates was recorded after the addition of various bio-manures. The highest organic C was recorded in the vermicompost (0.54%) and pressmud (0.50%) treatments. The highest increase in soil microbial biomass C (185.5%) and soil microbial biomass N (220.2%) over its initial value was recorded with the addition of FYM. Dry matter production in plant, as well as ratoon crop, was significantly higher by bio-manure application over the control. Plant N uptake was highest in the pressmud treatment (227.7 kg ha−1), whereas P and K uptake were highest (41.4 and 226.50 kg ha−1) in vermicompost treatment. The highest number of millable canes (95.6 and 101.0 thousand ha−1) in plant and ratoon crop were obtained with the addition of pressmud. The highest yield (76.7 t ha−1) was recorded in planted cane with vermicompost application, whereas ratoon yield was highest (78.16 t ha−1) with pressmud application. In both planted and ratoon crop, organic amendments produced yields statistically similar to those with recommended NPK (76.1 and 78.1 t ha−1 for plant and ratoon cane).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alfoldi T, Mader P, Obersen A, Spiess E, Niggli U, Besson JM (1993) DOK-Versuch: vergleichende Langzeit-Untersuchungen in den drei Anbausystemen biologisch-Dynamesch, Organisch-biologisch and Konventionell. III. Boden: Chemische Untersuchungen, 1. and 2. Fruchtfolgeperiode. Schweiz Land-wirtsch Forsch 32:479–507
Anderson JPE (1982) Soil respiration. In: Page AL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties. SSSA, Madison, Wisconsin, pp 837–871
Anderson TH, Domsch KH (1989) Ratios of microbial biomass carbon to total organic carbon in arable soils. Soil Biol Biochem 21:471–479
Bertrand AR (1965) Rate of water intake in the field. In: Balck CA (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 1. Physical and mineralogical methods. SSSA, Madison, Wisconsin, pp 197–209
Blakemore IC, Searle PL, Daly BK (1972) Methods for the chemical analysis of soils. NZ Soil Bureau report 10A. Government Printer, Wellington
Cochran WG, Cox GM (1957) Experimental designs. Wiley, NY, USA
Drinkwater LE, Letourneau DK, Workneh F, van Bruggen AHC, Shennan C (1995) Fundamental differences between conventional and organic tomato agroecosystems in California. Ecol Appl 5:1098–1112
Droogers P, Bouma J (1996) Biodynamic versus conventional farming effects on soil structure expressed by simulated potential productivity. Soil Sci Soc Am J 60:1552–1558
Gaillard V, Chenu C, Recous C, Richard G (1999) Carbon, nitrogen, and microbial gradients induced by plant residues decomposing in soil. Eur J Soil Sci 50:567–578
Guisquiani PL, Paghai M, Gighoth G, Businelli D, Benetti A (1995) Urban waste compost: effects on physical, chemical, and biochemical soil properties. J Environ Qual 24:175–182
Jackson ML (1973) Soil chemical analysis. Prentice-Hall of India, New Delhi
Jenkinson DS, Ladd JN (1981) Microbial biomass in soil: measurement and turnover. In: Paul EA, Ladd JN (eds) Soil biochemistry, vol. 5. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 415–417
Li X, Chen Z (2004) Soil microbial biomass C and N along a climatic transect in the Mongolian steppe. Biol Fertil Soils 39:344–351
Mader P, Fliebach D, Dubois L, Gunst P, Fried Niggli U (2002) Soil fertility and biodiversity in organic farming. Science 296:1694–1697
Meade GP, Chen JCP (1977) Cane sugar handbook, 10th edn. Wiley, New York
Neyra CA, Dobereiner J (1977) Nitrogen fixation in grasses. Adv Agron 29:1–38
Parham JA, Deng SP, Raun WR, Johnson GV (2002) Long-term cattle manure application in soil. 1. Effect on soil phosphorus levels. Microbial biomass C and dehydrogenase and phosphatase activities. Biol Fertil Soils 35:328–337
Piper CS (1966) Soil and plant analysis. University of Adelaide, Australia
Saviozzi A, Bufalino P, Levi-Minzi R, Riffaldi R (2002) Biochemical activities in a degraded soil restored by two amendments: a laboratory study. Biol Fertil Soils 35:96–119
Sparling GP (1992) Ratio of microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon as a sensitive indicator of changes in soil organic matter. Aust J Soil Res 30:195–207
Speir TW, Horswell J, Mclaren RG, Fietje G, Van Schalk AP (2004) Composted biosolids enhance fertility of a sandy loam soil under dairy pasture. Biol Fertil Soils 40:349–358
Subbiah BV, Asija GL (1956) A rapid procedure for the estimation of available nitrogen in soils. Curr Sci 25:259–260
Vance ED, Brookes PK, Jackson DS (1987) An extraction method for measuring microbial biomass C. Soil Biol Biochem 19:703–707
Walkley A, Black IA (1934) An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci 37:29–38
Yadav RL, Sharma RK (1978) Correlation and regression studies between yield and its attributes in sugarcane varieties. Indian J Sugarcane Technol 1:17–22
Yodor RF (1936) A direct method of aggregate analysis of soil and study of physical nature of erosion losses. J Am Soc Agron 28:337–357
Zaller JG, Kopke U (2004) Effects of traditional and biodynamic farmyard manure amendment on yields, soil chemical, biochemical and biological properties in a long-term experiment. Biol Fertil Soils 40:222–229
Zaman M, Cameron KC, Di HJ, Nooman MJ (1998) Nitrogen mineralization rates from soil amended with diary pond waste. Aust J Soil Res 36:217–230
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Singh, K.P., Suman, A., Singh, P.N. et al. Improving quality of sugarcane-growing soils by organic amendments under subtropical climatic conditions of India. Biol Fertil Soils 44, 367–376 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-007-0216-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-007-0216-8