Impact of addition of soil amendments and microbial inoculants on nursery growth of Populus deltoides and Toona ciliata

Abstract

Present study evaluated growth of Populus deltoides G48 and Toona ciliata over a period of 6 months, in nursery soil amended with 10% fly ash (v/v), 5% distillery waste (v/v), 20% farmyard manure (v/v) and microbial consortium of Pseudomonas striata and Azotobacter sp. @ 30 ml/pot in different combinations leading to 12 different treatments with 16 replicates in completely randomized block design. Biometric parameters such as plant height, collar diameter and total dry biomass were analyzed which indicated that the treatment (T8) comprising of fly ash @ 10% (v/v), farmyard manure @ 20% (v/v) and microbial consortium @ 30 ml/pot promoted growth of P. deltoides. The results indicated that combined addition of fly ash, farm yard manure and microbial inoculants can be used as a good potting mixture for improving survival rates and plant growth in forestry nurseries.

Agronomic and environmental effects of land application of residues in short-rotation tree plantations: A literature review

“…6). In contrast, the mixture of ash with sludge [109,110], manure and/or a bacterial solution (Pseudomonas/Azotobacter) had a beneficial effect on growth [109,111]. The ashes alone tended to form an impenetrable film on the soil surface inhibiting the growth of willow roots, while gradually adding sludge to ashes allowed the roots to continue growing [110].…”