Annals of the Sri Lanka Department of Agriculture. 2008.10:255-261.
EFFECT OF POULTRY MANURE ON CHILLI YIELD AND INCIDENCE OF THRIPS IN CALCIC RED YELLOW LATOSOLS S. VIJIYARATNAM, B. BALASINGHAM, P. BALAKRISNAN and S. KULENDRAN Agricultural Research Station, Thirunelvely, Jaffna
ABSTRACT Animal manure has shown tremendous potential to increase the soil fertility and crop yield in Sri Lanka. This manure contains high percentage of necessary plant nutrients as compared to plant residues. Application of poultry manure with a high content of most nutrients increases the soil pH and plant nutrients in the soil more effectively as compared to the other manures having the highest contents of most nutrients. This experiment was conducted in maha 2003/2004 and yala 2005 on red yellow latasols at the Agricultural Research Station, Thirunelvely, Jaffna to study the performance of poultry manure on chilli variety MI 2. The treatments were department recommendation of NPK 100%, poultry manure 100% and 50% poultry manure with 50% NPK. The highest mean dry pod yield of chilli (4 mt/ha) was obtained in the 50%NPK with 50% poultry manure treated plots and it was not significantly different from 100% poultry manure treated plots (3.5 mt/ha). The mean dry pod yield in the yala season (4 mt/ha) was higher than the maha season (1.8 mt/ha). Other parameters such as height, canopy width and pod number/plant showed significant response to poultry manure. Incidence of thrips was also very low in the 100% poultry manure treated plots and disease incidence was also very low in this plot. It can be concluded that the department recommendation of fertilizer can be supplemented fully or partially replaced with the poultry manure to obtain a higher dry pod yield, comparable to that under the department recommendation. KEYWORDS: Poultry manure, Thrips, Yield.
INTRODUCTION Farmers had been using organic manures for centuries until inorganic fertilizers were introduced. Organic manures confer many benefits to the soil-plant systems, which cannot be provided by inorganic fertilizers. However, this practice has been gradually neglected during last two decades. As a result, physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil have gradually degraded with continuous cropping. On the other hand, several animal manures available in Sri Lanka have shown tremendous potential to increase crop yields (Wijiyawardena, 1993). These manures have been shown to contain considerable amounts of necessary plant nutrients when compared to plant residues (Marikar and Amaraisri, 1988). The annual production of animal manure in Sri Lanka has a potential to replace approximately fifty percent of plant nutrient contents of imported chemical fertilizer (FAO, 1985). nutrients
Animal manure can supply significant quantities of major plant (Marikar and Amarasiri, 1988; Wijiyawardena, 1993;
256 VIJIYARATNAM et al.
Wijiyawardena, 1995; Moris and Marikar1996a; Moris and Marikar 1996b; Wejiyawardena and Yapa, 1999) and micro nutrients (CRI, 1994). Hence, promotion of crop growth by animal manures can probably be related to their substantial nutrient supply. Animal manures could increase the chemical, physical and biological properties of soil (Kononova, 1966; Gaur et al., 1971). Marikar and Nambuge (2001) stated that animal waste contains appreciable quantities of secondary and micro nutrients with poultry dung ranking first with the highest contents of nutrients. Poultry manure is a widely used organic manure in most part of the world including Sri Lanka. It is available in large quantities in many parts of the country. However, the accumulation of poultry manure in the soil creates many environmental problems such as soil, water and air pollution. Poultry manure contains low moisture content of 15-20% (Wijayawardena, 1995), higher amount of major and secondary nutrients (Wijayawardana, 1993) and micro nutrients (Japenga and Harmsen, 1990) compared to the other organic manures. Thus, poultry manure can provide considerable portion of the crop nutrient requirements. This shows the importance of poultry manure as a source of plant nutrients. Hence, this valuable source of plant nutrients must be widely used for crop production in a developing country like Sri Lanka. Research conducted in other countries revealed that poultry manure decomposes faster than most of other organic manures (Awad and Alobaidy, 1989). Therefore, it can provide plant nutrients faster when applied to soil. Hence poultry manure can supply plant nutrients even for early plant growth. Early vigorous plant growth will help formation of well developed root system that is important for growth and development during the rest of the plant life. The application of poultry manure increased the pH, P, K, Ca, Mg and Mn in the soil, more effectively when compared to other animal manures (Wijejawardena, 2000). Poultry manure could suppress root-knot nematode in solanaceous crops such as potato, tomato brinjal and capsicum (Gaur et al., 1971; Wahundeniya, 1991). Beneficial effects of poultry manure have been studied in the wet zone of Sri Lanka. (Gaur et al., 1971 and Wahundeniya, 1991). Therefore, there is a need to investigate, the performance of poultry manure under dry zone condition on red yellow latosols of the Jaffna district. MATERIALS AND METHODS A field experiment was carried out on Calcic Red Yellow Latasols (De Alwis and Panabokke, 1972) during maha 2003/04, yala 2004,
EFFECT OF POULTRY MANURE ON CHILLI YIELD 257
maha 2004/05 and yala 2005 at the Agricultural Research Station, Thirunelvely, Jaffna. The experiment was conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design with five replicates using chilli, variety MI-2. Spacing adopted was 45 x 45 cm and plot size was 2.7 m x 2.7 m. The four treatments were (Table 1), control treatment (T1) without any fertilizer, Departmental recommendation of NPK (T2), 50% poultry manure with 50% department recommendation of NPK (T3) and poultry manure100% (T4) were tested (Fig. 1). The growth parameters such as plant height and canopy width and yield components, number of pods/plant, weight of pods/plant were recorded. Soil pH of the experimental site was 7.2 and electrical conductivity was 0.14 ds/m. Table 1. Treatments of the experiment. Experiment No. T1 T2 T3 T4
Treatments Control Dept. Recom. Fertilizer (250 kg,urea,100 kg CSP, 100 kg MP) 50% Dept. Recom. Fertilizer and 50% Poultry manure (5 mt/ha) 100% Poultry manure (10 mt /ha)
Well decomposed poultry manure was applied as basal in respective treatment plots at two weeks before planting and NPK fertilizer was applied at planting time. Top dressings were given at two, four and eight weeks after planting. Wood ash was also applied to poultry manure plots (1 t/ha) as top dressing. No pesticide was applied during the experimental period.
Control
100% Poultry manure
50% Poultry manure and 50%NPK
100% NPK
258 VIJIYARATNAM et al. Figure 1. Experimental plots under different treatments.
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Thrips counts were recorded at weekly intervals after transplanting. Two plants were selected from each plot for counting of thrips. Counting was made on leaves or flowers in a cork screw manner; two flowers from top, two from middle and two from lower parts of the plants. Dry pod yield, pod number/plant, plant height, and canopy width were recorded. All parameters were statistically analysed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) to find out the significant effect. Economic analysis was performed to calculate the net return and the cost benefit ratio with respect to each treatment. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The mean pod yield of chilli varies from season to season (Table 2). Table 2. Mean pod yield in different seasons (mt/ha). Treatments
maha 2003/ yala maha 2004/ yala Mean 04 2004 05 2005 Control 1.2 b 2.5 b 0.5 b 1.1 c 1.3 100% NPK 1.8 ab 4.7 a 2.3 a 3.1 b 3.0 50% NPK and 50% PM 2.4 a 6.1 a 2.5 a 4.9 a 4.0 100% PM 2.6 a 5.6 a 1.6 ab 4.2 a 3.5 Mean yield 2.0 4.7 1.7 3.3 CV% 32 42 24 39 Values in each column followed by the same letters are not significantly different at 5% probability level.
The results reveal that in maha 2003/04, the highest dry pod yield of 2.6 mt/ha was obtained with the 100% application of poultry manure, and it was significantly different from the control (1.2 mt/ha). During yala 2004, maha 2004/05 and yala 2005 the highest dry pod yield was recorded in the treatment of 50% Departmental recommended NPK with 50% poultry manure and it was not significantly different from 100% poultry manure. Results indicate that chilli dry pod yield of yala seasons (4.7 mt/ha, 3.3 mt/ha) was higher than maha seasons (2 mt/ha, 1.7 mt/ha). The results revealed that the poultry manure significantly increased the dry pod yield of chilli during all the seasons supporting the results of Wijeyawardena (1997 b), which indicates that poultry manure application at a rate of 10 mt/ha showed a reduction of potash and phosphorus fertilizer by 50% of the recommended level without any reduction in the yield. The highest overall mean dry pod yield (4 mt/ha) also recorded in the treatment of 50% NPK and 50% poultry manure. It was observed that the performance of chilli yield with addition of poultry manure was remarkably high.
260 VIJIYARATNAM et al. Table 3. Mean plant height (cm) at harvesting. Treatments
maha 2003/ yala 04 2004 Control 34.0 b 30.0 b 100% NPK 35.0 ab 41.0 a 50% NPK and 50% PM 40.6 a 43.4 a 100% PM 40.4 a 45.3 a CV% 8.2 10.4 Values in each column followed by the same letters probability level.
maha 2004/ yala Mean 05 2005 32.2 b 34.0 b 32.5 36.1 a 39.4 a 38.4 41.2 a 40.3 a 41.4 41.4 a 40.8 a 42.0 7.5 6.3 are not significantly different at 5%
The response of added fertilizer and poultry manure on plant height is given in Table 3. The highest mean height was observed in the 100% poultry manure treated plants and the treatments were significantly different from the control, but there was no significant difference among the treatments. Table 4. Mean canopy width (cm) of the plant at harvest. Treatments
maha yala 2003/04 2004 Control 33.6 d 30.2 c 100% NPK 37.8 c 40.2 b 50% NPK and 50% PM 40.4 b 45.4 a 100% PM 43.0 a 46.0 a CV% 3.5 7 Values in each column followed by the same letters probability level.
maha yala Mean 2004/05 2005 31.8 b 30.6 b 31.5 39.4 a 39.8 a 39.3 42.0 a 40.1 a 42.2 43.1 a 42.1 a 43.5 4.2 6.3 are not significantly different at 5%
The highest canopy width (Table 4) was also recorded in the 100% poultry manure treated plots and it was significantly different among the treatments. Table 5. Mean pod number/plant. Treatments
maha 2003/ yala 2004 maha 2004/ yala Mean 04 05 2005 Control 30.2 b 45.0 b 22.0 b 30.1 c 31.8 100% NPK 50.6 a 89.0 a 60.1 a 60.5 b 65.0 50% NPK and 50%PM 64.8 a 106.2 a 63.2 a 85.0 a 78.3 100% PM 60.6 a 96.5 a 58.1 a 80.0 a 73.8 CV% 15.2 22 35 28 Values in each column followed by the same letters are not significantly different at 5% probability level.
The mean pod number/ plant (Table 5) was significantly higher than the control, but there was no significant difference among the treatments.
EFFECT OF POULTRY MANURE ON CHILLI YIELD 261
The highest pod number/plant (78.3) was observed in the 50% NPK and 50% poultry manure treated plants. Table 6. Mean thrips counts per/leaf or flower. Treatments
maha 2003/04
yala maha yala Mean 2004 2004/05 2005 Control 3.4 b 3.5 b 2.2 b 3.1 ab 3.5 100% NPK 4.4 a 5.2 a 4.1 a 4.8 a 4.6 50% NPK and 50% PM 2.8 b 3.2 b 3.7 a 4.7 a 3.6 100% PM 1.2 c 1.8 c 2.1 b 2.8 b 1.9 CV% 25 28 22 30 Values in each column followed by the same letters are not significantly different at 5% probability level.
The lowest and the highest counts of thrips (Table 6) were observed in the 100% poultry manure and 100% Department recommendation of fertilizer treated plots, respectively, and it was also significantly different from other treatments. Table 7. The cost: benefit ratio/ha for different treatments. Treatments Total cost Rs. Yield t/ha Crop return at 100/= /kg Net return Cost : Benefit ratio
Control 98,025.0 1.3 1,30,000.0 32,975.0 0.33
100% Dept NPK 1,13.970 3.0 3,00,000.0 1,86,030.0 1.6
50% NPK and PM 1,16,712.0 4.0 4,00,000.0 2,83,288.0 2.42
100% PM 1,18,650.0 3.5 3,50,000.0 2,31,350.0 1.94
The cost of production, net income and the cost: benefit ratio are given in Table 7. The highest cost: benefit ratio was obtained from the 50% poultry manure with 50% NPK treated plots. CONCLUSIONS The efficiency of poultry manure was increased when combined with chemical fertilizers. The Department recommendation of fertilizer can be partially or fully replaced by poultry manure for an economical cultivation of chilli crop under dry zone conditions. REFERENCES Awad, K.M. and K.S. Al-Obaidy. 1989. Effect of organic residues on phosphate adsorption by some calcareous soils. Mesopotamia Journal of Agriculture 21:53-67. CRI. 1994. Annual Report, Soils and Plant Nutrition Division, Coconut Research Institute. Lunuvila, Sri-Lanka. 83-85p.
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