Effects of certain plant biomass on soil fertility and corn yield

 

Jirawat Oumpetch

Kasetsart University  Bangkok 10900

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            Study on the effects of biomass from plant on soil fertility and yield of corn consisted of 4 experiments.  The results were as follows:

            Biomass from plant seeds gathered higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus than those from aerial parts of grasses and regumes.  Brachiaria distachya gathered potassium in the aerial biomass higher than the others.  Water extracted from hyacinth bean (Lab Lab sp.) applied to corn in pots resulted highest height and dry weight of corn, but not different from those of plant seeds.  Castor bean cake incorporated in the soil resulted higher height and dry weight of corn in the pots than those from the other plant biomass.  All kinds of plant biomass used in the field experiment increased straw and grain yield of corn.  Biomass from aerial parts of legumes incorporated in the soil at the rate of 3 tons/ha increased corn yield comparable to the application of chemical fertilizer, 12-12-6 at the rate of 90 kg-N/ha

 

 

Biomass