Back to Contents

Pak. J. Bot., 47(6): 2397-2400, 2015.

FREE FULL TEXT PDF

EM.1 COMPOST AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE NODULATION, GROWTH, AND YIELD OF BERSEEM (TRIFOLIUM ALEXANDRINUM) CROP

IHSANULLAH DAUR^* AND AWAD O. ABUSUWAR

Department of Arid Land Agriculture, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment & Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80208, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

^*Corresponding author e-mail: iaslam@kau.edu.sa

Abstract: To wisely utilize local organic resources and enhance their quality in order to effectively fertilize agricultural crops, a blend of organic resources, comprising cow manure, poultry manure, and kitchen waste (2:1:1 ratio by volume), was composted with (Compost_EM.1) and without (Compost_plain) effective microorganisms (EM.1). Various parameters including temperature, pH, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and the C/N ratio were recorded during composting to assess the effects of EM.1 on this process. After completion of the composting process, the effects of the resultant composts on the nodulation, growth, and yield of berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) crop were tested in a field trial. Temperature and pH were lower and the N content was higher in Compost_EM.1 than in Compost_plain throughout composting. C degradation was also faster in Compost_EM.1 than in Compost_plain. Consequently, the C/N ratio stabilized faster in Compost_EM.1, leading to rapid completion of composting. In the field trial, composts showed no significant effect on nodulation or the shoot-to-root ratio. However, in comparison to Compost_plain, Compost_EM.1 significantly increased the leaf-to-stem ratio and the fresh and dry yields of berseem. We conclude that EM.1 enhances the composting process and the yield of berseem crop.

Key words: Composting, Manure, Kitchen waste, Nodulation, Crop growth.