Effect Of Nitrogen And Biogas Fertilizers On Maize And The Following Wheat Yield:

Abdalla Kassem Abdalla Zaghloul

SummaryTwo field experiments was conducted at the Research andExperiment Station of the Fac. of Agric., Moshtohor in 1996/1997and 1997/1998 seasons. The aim of this study was to investigate theeffect of Biogas sludge and nitrogen fertilizers on maize - wheatproduction under nitrogen levels. The soil was a clay texture havingan alkaline reaction (pH 7.9). organic matter content was 2.3%. Theavailable N, P, and K were 27, 14 and 287 mg/kg soil, respectively.The preceding crop was Egyptian clover in both seasons.The first experiment aimed to study the effect of two Biogassludge manure treatments (zero and 5m3/fed) and four nitrogenlevels (zero, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/fed) on tasseling and silking dates, growth characters, grain yield , yield components and chemicalcomposition in the grain yield of maize. Also, nitrogen useefficiency and apparent nitrogen recovery in grains as well asorganic matter, N, P and K percentages in the soil at maize harvestwere determined. Biogas sludge is composed of 47.71% organicmatter content, 1.43% N, 0.47% P and 0.72% K. pH value was 7.5and its had an E.C. of 2.8 ds/m (in the saturation extract).Biogassludge was added before planting. The experiment design was arandomized complet block with four replications. The plot area was42 m2 (14 x 3m2) having 20 rows of3m length and 70 em width.Maize CY. T. w. C. 310 was cultivated on June Wth and 12th for theI~ and 2nd seasons, respectively. Calcium super phosphate (15.5%P20S) was applied through soil at a rate of 150 kg/fed. Plants werethinned to one plant /hill before the 1g irrigation and the distancebetween hills was 30 em. Ammonium nitrate (N~ N03 - 33.5% N)was used as the N source in both seasons which applied in twodoses, before the I~ and 2nd irrigation. The normal cultural practicesfor growing maize were used.The second experiment aimed to investigate the residual effectof fertilized maize (Biogas manure & N levels) on wheatlproductionand quality under N fertilizer rates. Growth characters, grain yield,yield components, straw and biological yields, grain qu lity , NUEand ANR in grain of wheat were studied. The experim ntal designwas a split plot with four replications. Every experiment ncluded 32treatments, which were the combination of eight residual effecttreatments and 4 N levels of this study were as follows :A- Nitrogen levels:1-Zero (control) .2- 30 kg N/fed.3-60 kg N/fed.4- 90 kg N/fed.B-The residual effect of N levels:1-Zero (control).2- 50 kg N/fed.3- 100 kg N/fed.4- 150 kg N/fed.C- The residual effect of Biogas sludge:I-Zero (control) .2- 5m’ BS/fed.The eight residual effect treatments were arranged random inthe main plots and the sub-plots were assigned to the fo r N levels -The sub-plot area was 10.5 m’ (3.0 x 3.5 nr’). Wheat c . Gemaza Iwas cultivated on November 28!hand 23Jh in the I;;!and ud seasons,respectively . Wheat was planted on rows 20 em width. mmoruumnitrate (NH4 NO, - 33.5 N%) was used as the N so rce in bothseasons which applied in two doses, before the 1g and 2nd irrigation.The normal cultural practices for growing wheat were used. Resultscould be summarized as follows:Part one: Maize crop :A-Effect of soil application of nitrogen:1-Nitrogen fertilizer caused a significant decrease III the time of50% tasseling and silking in both seasons. A higher N level (150kg N/fed.) significantly decreased tasseling and silking dates.However, the difference between 100 and 150 kg N/fed. were notsignificant in both seasons.2- Application of 150 kg N/fed significantly increased plant height,ear height, stem diameter, ear leaf area, L. A. 1. and fresh and dryweight of different plant organs at 80 days from planting in 1996and 1997 seasons. On the other hand, number of dry leaves Iplantsignificantly decreased with increasing N levels up to 150 kgN/fed. But, the difference between 100 and 150 kg N/fed on mostcharacters were not significant,3- Grain yield components, namely, number of ears iplant, earlength, ear diameter, number of kernels Irow, number of rowslear,ear weight, kernels weight lear, grain yield Iplant, 1001 kernelweight and shelling percentage significantly increased withincreasing N levels up to 150 kg N Ifed. However, the differencebetween 100 and 150 kg N Ifed. in most characters were notsignificant.4- Grain, straw and biological yield significantly increased withincreasing N levels up to 150 kg Ifed. Application of 50 , 100 and150 kg N/fed significantly increased grain yield over the controltreatment by 26, 52.7 and 54% in the I§!season and by 23, 47.2and 49% in the 2nd season, respectively. The difference between100 and 150 kg N Ifed levels were not significants.5- Application of nitrogen treatments caused no significant increasein N, CP, P, K percentage as well as total carbohydratepercentage in grains in both seasons.6- Application of 100 or 150 kg N Ifed. caused a significantincrease in absolute amount of N, P, K and total carbohydrateIfed. as compared with the other N treatments. This increase aresult adding 150 kg N/fed was 57.0,73.9, 105.0 and 42.2% inthe I§! season and by 50.7 , 58.0 , 59.3 and 43.7% in the 2ndseason compared with the control treatments . This resultindicated that the rate of 100 kg N Ifed is recommended for grainyield and its quality.7_Application of 150 kg N/fed gave the lowest values ofNUE andN recovery in grain. whereas, adding 100 kg N/fed produced thehighest values of NUE and N recovery in both seasons .However, the difference between 50 and 100 kg N/fed wasinsignificant.8-The results of organic matter and NPK contents in the clay soil ofthe experiment showed no significant effect as a result of addingN levels.B- Effect of Biogas sludge (BS) :1-Biogas sludge caused a significant decrease III tasseling andsilking dates in both seasons.2-Biogas sludge significantly increased plant height, ear heightIstem diameter, ear leaf area, L. A. 1. and fresh and dry weight ofdifferent plant organs of maize in both season. But, its decreasenumber of dry leaves/plant .3- Grain yield components, namely, number of ears Iplant, earlength, ear diameter, number of kernels lrow, number of rows Iear, ear weight, kernels weight lear, grain yield Iplant, l DO-kernelweight and shelling percentage significantly increased withapplying 5 m3 BS/fed in both seasons.4- Application of 5 m3 BS/fed significantly increased grain, strawand Biological yields in both seasons. Such increases in grainyield due to adding 5 m3 BS/fed over the check treatment by9.4% and 9.6% in the 1g and 2nd seasons, respectively.! 5-Biogas sludge did not significantly affect in N, CP, P, K and totalcarbohydrate percentages in grains of maize in both seasons.6- Application of 5m3/fed BS significantly increased absoluteamount ofN , P , K and total carbohydrate Ifed in both seasons.7-Adding 5 m3 BS/fed had no significant effect on OM% and NPKcontents in the clay soil of the experiment.C-Interaction effect:1-There was a number of significant interactions between mineral Nfertilizer and Biogas sludge on some of studied traits, plantheight, ear height, ear leaf area and L. A. 1., fresh weight ofleaves/plant, dry weight of stem Iplant, total dry weight Iplant,number of kernals I row, shelling % , grain and biologicalyields/fed and P uptake in grain in both seasons and fresh weightof stem Iplant, total fresh weight Iplant, dry weight of leaves and-139-Summaryears Iplant ,ear weight and the yield of N , K and totalcarbohydrates in grains Ifed in 1997 seasons.2- Generally, adding 100 or 150 kg N + 5m3 Biogas sludge Ifedlevel recorded the highest plant growth, grain yield and grainquality the control treatment (no N , BS) gave the lowest values.3- It could be concluded that the rate of 100 kg N + 5m3 BS/fed isrecommended for grain yield of maize and its quality under theexperimental conditions.Part two: wheat crop:A-Effect of soil application of nitrogen:1-Application of 90 kg N Ifed produced the highest values ofgrowth characters, namely, plant height, number of tillers 1m2,flag leaf area, number of leaves Istem and dry weight of different! organs plant at 90 days from planting compared with the other Nlevels in both seasons.2- Number of tillers 1m2 number of spikesl m”, spike length, spikeweight, number of grains Ispike and 1000-grain weightsignificantly increased with increasing N levels up to 90 kg Ifedin both seasons.3- Application of 30, 60 and 90 kg Ifed significantly increasedgrain, straw and biological yield in both seasons. A lying 30,60 and 90 kglfed significantly increased grain yiel over theunfertilized treatment by 16.1 ,31.4 and 40.3% in th 1g seasonand by 12.7 ,24.6 and 32.2 % in 1997/98 season, resp tively.4- Applying 90 kg N/fed caused a significant increase in harvestindex (33.9 , 37.4). However, the difference betwee 60 and 90kg N/fed an both seasons was insignificant.5-Nitrogen fertilizer levels significantly increased Nand Ppercentages in grain and their absolute amount Ifed as well as Kuptake and total carbohydrate yield Ifed in both seasons.6- The results indicated that the rate of 90 kg N Ifed ISrecommended for grain yield and its quality of wheat.7-Application of N up to 90 kg/fed significantly decreased NUEand ANR in both seasons. However, the difference between 30and 60 kg N/fed was insignificant.B-The residual effect of mineral N fertilizer:1-All growth characters, namely, plant height, number of tillers1m2, flag leaf area, number of leaves Istem, dry weight ofdifferent plant organs were not significantly influenced byresidual effect of mineral N fertilizer treatments.2- The residual effect ofN treatments did not significant’ly affectednumber of tillers 1m2, number of spikes 1m2, spike length, spikeweight ,number of grains I spike, 1OOO-grainweight, grain,straw and biological yields as well as harvest index in bothseasons.3- The residual effect of 150 kg N Ifed treatment recorded thehighest grain, straw and biological yield as well as harvest indexcompared with the check treatment. However, the differences asamong the residual effect treatments were not significant.4- The residual effect of N treatments on N, P, K and totalcarbohydrate percentages in grains and their amounts wheat ingrains were not significant.c- The residual effect of Biogas sludge on wheat:1-All growth characters, yield components, grain, straw, andbiological yield/fed as well as harvest index were not affected bythe residual effect ofBiogas sludge treatments.2- Adding 5m3 BS/fed on maize produced the highest values ofNPKand total carbohydrate percentages in grains of wheat as well asthe absolute amount of NPK and total carbohydrate content ingrains of wheat. However, the difference between both residualeffect of Biogas sludge treatment was insignificant.D-Interaction effects:1-The residual effect of the interaction between mineral N fertilizerand Biogas sludge treatments on all studied characters of wheatwere not significant in both seasons.2- The effect of the interaction between the Biogas residualtreatments and N fertilizer levels on wheat was not significant forall studied characters’ under study except, K and totalcarbohydrates percentages in grain in one season only.3- All studied characters except, total carbohydrates in grains in1997/98 season was not affected by the interaction between theresidual effect ofN treatments and N levels on wheat.4- All studied characters were not affected by the interactionbetween the residuals effect (N+BS) and N levels un wheat inboth seasons.