National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
|
PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
A field experimental study was conducted to assess the impact of thermochemical digestate fertilizer produced from food waste on available soil and plant micronutrients in banana (Musa spp. cultivar Njalipoovan) in an Entisol of Kerala. The initial soil test showed that the soil is in low in OC% (0.26-0.42 %), available boron (0.13-0.17 mg kg-1), available zinc (0.18-0.26 mg kg-1), available copper (0.21-0.25 mg kg-1). The available iron (2.92-3.54 mg kg-1) and available manganese (1.08-1.35 mg kg-1) was in the sufficiency range. The experiment was laid in randomized block design (RBD) with 8 treatments and three replications. The application of FTCDF (10 kg Thermochemical digestate fertilizer from food waste) resulted in sustained availability of nutrients all throughout the growing period. The availability of Fe was reduced due to the application of FTCDF due to formation of strong organo metallic bonds that are more resistant to disintegration. The source of fertilizers didn’t affect the pattern of micronutrient uptake, showing the preferential requirement of micronutrients during different growth stages. The foliar micronutrients concentration was high during the initial 2 to 4 months of planting due to requirement of micronutrients for development during vegetative phase. After 4 MAP the foliar nutrient concentration was reduced due to mobilisation of nutrient for bunch emergence and fruit filling. On maturity of bunches, during harvesting the foliar nutrient concentration slightly increases due to slowing down of nutrient translocation to the bunches. There was no significant difference in the number of fingers produced between treatments. The number of hands produced in treatment that received FTCDF was superior to other treatments. The yield of treatments that received FTCDF recorded the highest yield of 19.8 kg. The treatments HTCDF+FS, QTCDF+FS, FS, POP and STB were comparable in yield. The use of TCDF in place of FYM can effectively increase the yield of banana intercropped in coconut gardens in Onattukara sand tracts due to sustained nutrient availability and better nutrient retention and uptake all throughout the cropping season.
Citations |
 |
 |
 |
 |
