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USE OF COMPOST AN ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY FOR ENHANCING RICE-WHEAT PRODUCTION IN PAKISTAN

GHULAM SARWAR¹,  NAZIR HUSSAIN²,  HELGE SCHMEISKY³ AND  SHER MUHAMMAD¹

Abstract: The main aim of present study was to evaluate the possibilities of composting different organic substrates i.e. crop residues, leaves of trees, vegetables and fruit wastes. Decomposed organic matter was used in rice-wheat crop production in normal soil (Organic C = 0.33%, Available P= 5.72 µg g^-1, K= 5.7 cmol_c L^-1, pH_s = 8.19, EC_e = 2.35 dS m^-1 and SAR = 7.20). Compost (12 and 24 t ha^-1) was applied without and with chemical fertilizer (Rice: 100-70-70 and wheat: 140-110-70 NPK kg ha^-1) to investigate the probable effects of compost on crop yields. The grain yield and yield components (plant height, number of fertile tillers and 1000 grain weight) of rice and wheat increased significantly with the application of organic material in the form of compost at both the levels. The combination of compost with chemical fertilizer further enhanced the biomass and grain yield of both crops. This treatment proved economical over others. On the basis of experimental results, a recommendation for the farmers was formulated that they should compost the crop residues to apply in their soils for the increased sustainable crop production. In this way, the soil fertility can be improved with a net improvement in land productivity.

¹University College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan, e-mail: seerver@yahoo.com

²Soil Salinity Research Institute, Pindi Bhattian, Pakistan

³University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, Germany