An Asian Journal of Soil Science

P. Veeranagappa ¹, H. C. Prakasha ¹, K. R. Ashoka ¹, M. M. Venkatesha ², M. B. Mahendra Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, G.K.V.K., Bengaluru (Karnataka), IN
2 Department of Agronomist, C.C.R.I., Balehonnur (Karnataka), IN

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on a Typic Haplustalf with sandy loam texture to study the effect of Zn-E compost on soil properties and distribution of zinc fractions in soil. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. There were eight treatments comprising of recommended dose of compost, NPK fertilizers, ZnSO₄ and zinc enriched compost. Application of NPK + compost + ZnSO₄ at 20 kg ha^-1 and different levels of Zn-E compost treated plots recorded significantly higher values of primary, secondary and micronutrients in soil at tillering, panicle initiation and at harvest stages. A slight improvement in soil pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon content noticed higher values in NPK + zinc enriched levels followed by package of practice. The application of Zn-E compost increased the amount of zinc present in different fractions. Increase in amount of zinc present in different zinc fractions might be due to the higher solubility and mobility of the added zinc source. Water soluble plus exchangeable fractions significantly increased with the enrichment of compost.

Keywords

Zn-E Compost, NPK, Zinc.

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