Vermicompost and zeolite improve yield, nutrient uptake, essential and fixed oil production, and composition of Nigella sativa L.

The exogenous application of organic and natural inputs is a key strategy for producing healthy and high-quality crops in sustainable agricultural systems. Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) is a highly popular plant used worldwide in the medical and food industries. According to the authors' knowledge, no research has been published to examine the effects of zeolite and vermicompost on yield components, nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) contents in seeds, essential and fixed oil contents, or the composition of black cumin in the organic agricultural system. In a semi-arid area of Iran in 2017 and 2018, an experiment with a full factorial layout was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experimental treatments included four vermicompost rates (0, 2, 4, and 6 tons ha−1) and four zeolite rates (0, 3, 6, and 9 tons ha−1). There were linear responses between either vermicompost or zeolite application rates and the majority of the attributes studied. The integrated treatment of 6 tons of vermicompost and 9 tons of zeolite ha−1 produced the maximum seed and biological yields (466.2 and 3716.7 kg ha−1, respectively). The utilization of 6 tons of vermicompost ha−1 increased the N, P, and K contents of seed by 13.5%, 10.8%, and 14.1%, respectively, compared with the control. Seed essential oil content was enhanced by 24.1% in plots treated with 9 tons of zeolite ha−1 compared to the untreated control. The use of 6 tons of vermicompost ha−1 resulted in higher production of unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic (53.3%), oleic (25.36%), and linolenic acid (0.6%) in oil. Overall, both the quantity and quality of black cumin improved when vermicompost and zeolite were used for 2 consecutive years. This showed the agronomic potential of both amendments in promising and environmentally friendly agricultural systems

Effect of Different Levels of Pelleted Poultry Manure and Chemical Fertilizer on Fodder Quality and Maize (Zea mays L.) Grain Yield

Introduction Maize (Zea mays L.) ranks first in terms of forage production among forage plants by producing about 490 million tons of fresh and silage forage in the world. Chemical fertilizers are used to increase crop yields and provide human food, but reduce soil organic matter content and, in the long run, pose a serious environmental risk, resulting in contamination of arable soils and surface and groundwater. Organic manures reduce the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers by producing humus and increasing the activity of the soil microbial community. Utilization of non-chemical resources such as farmyard manure in combination with chemical fertilizers can lead to soil fertility and increase yield and crop quality because combined fertilizer systems can provide most of the plant's nutritional needs by increasing the absorption efficiency of nutrients in crops. Considering the importance of organic manures and their combination with chemical fertilizers, this experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effects of different levels of poultry manure, chemical fertilizer, and their combination on yield, yield components, and maize forage quality. Materials and Methods The research was carried out in the research farm of Kurdistan University located in Dehgolan County, Kurdistan Province, Iran in the crop year 2017-2018. The experiment was performed in the form of randomized complete blocks with three replications. Experimental treatments included different levels of pelleted poultry manure in combination with chemical fertilizers: Figure 2. T1: no fertilizer (control), T2: 1250 kg of poultry manure + zero kg of recommended chemical fertilizer, T3: 1250 kg of poultry manure + 25% of the recommended chemical fertilizer, T4: 1250 kg of poultry manure + 50% recommended chemical fertilizer, T5: 2500 kg of poultry manure + zero kg of recommended chemical fertilizer, T6: 2500 kg of poultry manure + 25% of recommended chemical fertilizer, T7: 2500 kg of poultry manure + 50% Recommended chemical fertilizer, T8: 5000 kg of poultry manure + 0 kg of recommended chemical fertilizer, T9: 5000 kg of poultry manure + 25% of recommended chemical fertilizer, T10: 5000 kg of poultry manure + 50% of chemical fertilizer Recommended, T11: 100% recommended chemical fertilizer. In this experiment, traits such as plant height, 1000-seed weight, biological and grain yield, seed nitrogen, starch, oil contents and forage quality were measured. Results and Discussion The results of the analysis of variance showed that the plant height, grain yield, biological yield, grain nitrogen, starch and oil contents, and oil yield were affected by fertilizer treatments at a probability level of 1%. The index harvest of maize was significant at the level of 5% probability. The number of plants per square meter and 1000-seed weight were not affected by fertilizer treatment. The highest plant height (241.2 cm), number of ears per plant (1.2 ears), 1000-seed weight (26.99 g.m-2), seed yield (12.76 tons per hectare) and biological yield (26.42 tons per hectare) were observed in the treatment of 5000 kg of plated chicken manure + 50% of the recommended chemical fertilizer. The highest percentage of fodder silage protein (12.58%) and silage ash (10.32%) was observed in the treatment of 2500 kg of plated chicken manure + 50% of the recommended chemical fertilizer. The highest percentage of insoluble fibers in neutral detergent was observed in the T6 and T8 treatments, and the lowest percentage of insoluble fibers in neutral detergents was observed in the T10 treatment. The highest and lowest percentages of insoluble fibers in acidic detergent were in the T2, T4, and T3 treatments, respectively. According to the results of the present experiment, the combination of chemical fertilizer with different amounts of chicken manure has reduced the consumption of chemical fertilizers, and in addition to saving on the consumption of fertilizer and the resulting costs, the harmful effects on the environment have also been reduced, and the condition of the soil in terms of fertility in the long term, the percentage of soil organic matter will improve. Conclusion  The results of the experiment showed that combined fertilizer treatments were superior compared to pure chemical fertilizer and pure poultry manure treatments, improved the yield and yield components of maize and caused a reduction in chemical fertilizers consumption. Chemical fertilizer treatment provided acceptable yield only at high levels

Biochar and conservation tillage affect the agronomic performance and fatty acid composition of Nigella sativa L. under both irrigated and dryland conditions

Abstract Soils in arid and semi-arid regions like Iran have suffered greatly from low organic matter content and low water availability. Traditional tillage and the overuse of chemical fertilizers are accelerating the problems in the region. So, sensible and sustainable strategies such as conservation tillage and natural organic inputs are becoming increasingly important to enhance organic matter and humidity in the soil and grow high-quality crops in agroecosystems. Thus, in 2019 and 2020, a split-split plot arrangement within a randomized complete block design was conducted in Iran to assess the effects of irrigated conditions, tillage systems, and biochar on the aforementioned traits. There were two irrigation conditions (irrigated and dryland) as the main plots, three tillage methods (conventional, minimum, and no-tillage) as sub-plots, and two application rates for biochar (0 and 15 ton ha−1) as sub-sub plots. The findings indicated that biochar application enhanced grain yield across all tillage methods under both irrigation conditions. Biochar with minimum tillage improved oil yield by 23% and 29% compared to those that did not use biochar under the dryland and irrigated conditions, respectively. Moreover, oil yield was higher in 2020 than in 2019 for all tillage systems and biochar rates. The main components of Nigella sativa L. oil belong to linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Minimum tillage with biochar under irrigated conditions in 2020 and no-tillage without biochar under dryland conditions in 2019 had the most (59%) and the least linoleic acid (53%), respectively. Conventional, minimum, and no-tillage with biochar in dryland conditions significantly increased linoleic acid by 2%, 3%, and 5% compared to those without biochar in 2020, respectively. In general, adopting biochar with minimum tillage produced the best outcomes for Nigella sativa L. yield, and grain oil quality under both irrigation conditions. It is recommended that farmers incorporate these practices to produce high-quality Nigella sativa L. in sustainable agricultural systems

Effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and foliar-applied iron (Fe) fertilizer at various reproductive stages on yield, yield component and chemical composition of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) seed

Nutritional management is an important factor in the success of crop production. However, research on the effects of nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe) application on soybean yield is limited. In order to study the effects of N and Fe application at various reproductive stages on grain yield and quality of soybean seed, an experiment was conducted using a factorial arrangement based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the research farm of Kurdistan University in 2009. The experimental treatments consisted of three different levels of N fertilizer application as follows: 0, 50 and 100 kg N ha-1, and two levels of Fe fertilizer (spray with iron and non-sprayed). Results indicate that the maximum seeds yield was obtained at N1 (303 g m-2) and N2 (328 g m-2) treatments and the highest number of seed per plant was obtained at N2 (128) treatment. Potassium concentration in seed and SPAD chlorophyll value responded to fertilizer treatments and the maximum protein percentage (32.5%) was obtained at N1F1 treatment. This treatment had no significant difference with N1F0, N2F0 and N0F1 treatments. The Fe and N fertilization treatments had no significant effect on Fe, Zn, Ca, Na, Cu and P concentration of soybean seed.Key words: Fe and N fertilizers, seed mineral elements, soybean, yield