Green manures and poultry feather effects on soil characteristics, growth, yield, and mineral contents of tomato

Abstract

Organic amendments are relatively cheap and available source of organic matter for sustaining both the physical and chemical soil characteristics, and crop yield. Therefore, two field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 to determine the sole and combined effects of Tithonia diversifolia and banana leaves, and poultry feather (PF) on soil characteristics, growth, yield, and mineral contents of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The treatments were: (i). Tithonia leaves alone applied at 10.0 t ha −1 , (ii). Banana leaves alone applied at 10.0 t ha −1 , (iii). Crushed PF alone applied at 10.0 t ha −1 , (iv). PF at 5.0 t ha −1 + banana leaves at 5.0 t ha −1 , (v). PF at 5.0 t ha −1 + Tithonia leaves at 5.0 t ha −1 , (vi). Tithonia leaves at 5.0 tha −1 + Banana leaves at 5.0 t ha −1 , and (vii). Controlno amendment. The seven treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Green manures and PF either sole or combined significantly (p < 0.05) reduced soil bulk density and increased porosity, soil organic matter (SOM), nutrient contents, growth, yield, and mineral contents of tomato crop compared with the control. When manures were combined, PF + Tithonia has the highest value of these parameters. PF + Tithonia increased tomato yield by 20.0, 53.0, 77.0 and 132.5%, respectively compared with feather alone, Tithonia alone, banana alone and the control for year 2017, and by 28.3, 59.2, 73.0, and 237.3%, respectively for year 2018. The increased growth, yield, and mineral contents of tomato under PF + Tithonia was due to improved soil physical and chemical properties and also due to the fact that slowly decaying poultry feather may allow retention of released nutrients from rapidly decomposing Tithonia within the rooting zone, thereby fostering greater efficiency of nutrient release and uptake. Therefore, locally sourced organic material can be used in improving soil and crop productivity especially when they are combined.

Yield and Nutritional Response of Greenhouse Grown Tomato Cultivars to Sustainable Fertilization and Irrigation Management

“…The aforementioned results are consistent with those reported under similar tomato crop management [ 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”

“…Notably, the mineral concentration recorded in the present study is much higher compared to previous investigations carried out on tomato [ 27 , 36 ]. Indeed, the mineral concentration is closely dependent on the crop system, i.e., the soil and environmental conditions, the genotype, and the farming practices.…”

Involvement of Allelopathy in the Invasive Potential of Tithonia diversifolia

“…The enhancements were considered to be consequences of the increasing the concentrations of chlorophyll and metabolites in the bean plants, such as phenylalanine and tryptophan [ 27 ]. The extracts and residues of T. diversifolia also worked as fertilizers because of their high mineral values [ 8 , 10 , 11 ].…”

“…T. diversifolia also works as green manure, increasing crop productivity, and acts as fodder for domestic animals because of its high mineral and nutrient values [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. On the other hand, T. diversifolia aggressively expands its habitat into agricultural and non-agricultural areas, becoming a serious farmland weed and disturbing native plant communities as an invasive plant species [ 2 , 7 , 12 ].…”

Effects of cow dung and wood biochars and green manure on soil fertility and tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) performance on a savanna Alfisol

“…In this work, mexican sunflower ( Tithonia diversifolia Asteraceae) was chosen as green manure source due to its wide distribution throughout the humid and sub-humid tropics in Asia and Africa 21 , its relatively high nutrient concentrations (N, P, and K) that are found in its biomass because of its ability to extract the relatively high amount of nutrients from the soil and its rapid decomposition 22 , 23 . Therefore the objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of single and combined application of wood and cow dung biochar with green manure on soil properties, growth, yield, and tuber qualities of tiger nut on a tropical savanna Alfisol.…”