Utility and nutritive values of organic and inorganic fertilization on teff grass (eragrostis teff zucc. trotter) growth and some soil chemical properties

Abstract

The effort were made to study the effect of organic fertilization (compost and vermicompost) produced from cotton residues and farmyard manure as well as to compare between the effects of organic fertilizer in comparison with inorganic fertilizers on Teff grass (Eragrostis tef Zucc.Trotter) as a test crop. Design: Two pot experiments were conducted using Teff grass for two seasons, during 2008-2009; the effect of the four organic fertilizers was compared to that chemical fertilizer and control. The treatments were: cotton residues (CR), cotton residues + earthworms (CR+E), cotton residues +farmyard manure (CR+FYM), cotton residues + farmyard manure + earthworms (CR+FYM+E), urea and Control (C) each treatments in two levels equivalent 1N (1N = 43 kg N/ha) and 2N (2N= 86 kg N /ha). In conclusion , results indicated that the highest values of plant height (84.02, 45.94) , leaves Number (6.44,8.44) and fresh weight (2.13, 1.75) were determined in CR+FYM+E equivalent 2N treatment during the two season. Findings: Vermicompost had a significant effect compared to others treatments and a positive effect of the organic fertilizer application was clearly observed in the second season.