Comparative Study on the Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Agronomic Performance of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) and Pea (Pisum sativum L.). Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Vol. 4, No. 6, 2015, pp. 263-268. doi: 10.11648/j.aff.20150406.15 Abstract: The study was conducted to observe the comparative effect of organic fertilizer (cow dung) and inorganic fertilizers like urea and potassium chloride on the growth, biomass and biochemical parameters of two legumes of pea (Pisum sativum) and faba bean (Vicia faba). Experiments were done using two plant species of legume family. Organic fertilizer like cow dung (15t/ha) and inorganic fertilizer was applied at rate of urea (120kg/ha) and potassium chloride (125kg/ha). The application of cow dung at 15t/ha showed significant growth over the inorganic fertilizer urea and potassium chloride in terms of germination percentage, fresh weight and dry weight, plant height, shoot length, and root length as well as number of leaves in both the legume plants. Similarly, biochemical parameters have also shown significant differences from organic fertilizer over the inorganic fertilizers and control. Thus our study provides the evidence for using organic fertilizer like cow dung by farmers to have better yield to produce quality grains as cow dung is easy available, environmentally safe and cost effective in pea and faba bean plants.

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Ecological stoichiometric should be incorporated into management and nutrient impacted ecosystems dynamic to understand the status of ecosystems and ecological interaction. The present study focused on ecological stoichiometric characteristics of soil, and leaves, stems, and roots of different macrophytes after the banning of seine fishing in Shengjin Lake. For C, N, and P analysis from leaves, stems, roots, and soil to explore their stoichiometric ratio and deriving environmental forces, four dominant plant communities (Vallisneria natans, Zizania latifolia, Trapa natans and Carex schmidtii) were collected. The concentration of C, N, P and C: N: P ratio in leaves, stems, roots, and soil among the plant communities varied significantly. Along the depth gradient high C: N was measured in C.schmidtii soil (7.08±1.504) but not vary significantly (P >0.05). High C: P result was found in T.natans (81.14±43.88) and in V.natans soil (81.40±42.57) respectively with no significant difference (p>0.05). Besides, N: P ratio measured high in V. natans (13.7±4.05) and showed significant variation (P<0.05). High leaf C: N and N: P ratio was measured in C. schmidtii and V. natans respectively. Nevertheless, high leaf C: P ratio was measured in Z. latifolia. From the three studied organs, leaf C: N and N: P ratio showed high values compared to root and stems. The correlation analysis result showed that at 0-10cm depth soil organic carbon (SOC) correlated negatively with stem total phosphorus (STP), and root total nitrogen (RTN) (P<0.05) but positively strongly with leaf total phosphorus (LTP) and leaf total nitrogen (LTN) (P<0.01) respectively. Soil total nitrogen (STN) at 0-10cm strongly positively correlated with leaf total phosphorus (LTP) (P<0.01) and positively with RN: P and leaf total carbon (LTC) (P<0.05). Soil basic properties such as soil moisture content (SMC), bulky density (BD) and pH positively correlated with soil ecological stoichiometric characteristics. Redundancy analysis (RDA) result showed available nitrogen (AN), soil total nitrogen (STN), and available phosphorus (AP) were the potential determinants variables on plants stoichiometric characteristics.

Ecological stoichiometric should be incorporated into management and nutrient impacted 32 ecosystems dynamic to understand the status of ecosystems and ecological interaction. The present study 33 focused on ecological stoichiometric characteristics of different macrophyte plants soil, leave, stem and root 34 after the removal of seine fishing since 2000 from Shengjin Lake. For C, N and P analysis from leaves, stems, 35 roots and soil to explore their stoichiometric ratio and deriving environmental forces here four dominant plant 36 communities (Zizania caduciflora, Vallisineria natans, Trapa quadrispinosa and Carex schmidtii) were 37 collected. C, N, P and C: N: P ratio in leafs, stems, roots and soil among the plant communities vary and the 38 studied plant communities had significant effect on the measured variables. There was high C: N in 39 C.schmidtii soil (7.08±1.504) but not vary significantly (P >0.05), and N: P ratio measured high in V. natans 40 (13.7±4.05) and C: P in T.quadrispinosa soil (81.14±43.88) and showed significant variation (P<0.05) 41 respectively. High leaf C: N and N: P ratio was measured in C. schmidtii and V. natans respectively. 42Nevertheless, high leaf C: P ratio was measured in Z.caduciflora. From the three studied organs leafs C: N, 43 N: P ratio showed high values compared to root and stems. The correlation analysis result showed that, at 0-44 10cm depth ranges SOC correlated negatively with stem total phosphorus (STP) ,and RTN (P<0.05) but 45 positively strongly with LTP and LTN (P<0.01) respectively. Soil total nitrogen at 0-10cm strongly positively 46 correlated with LTP (P<0.01) and positively with RN: P and LTC (P<0.05). Soil basic properties such as 47 SMC.BD and pH positively correlated with soil ecological stoichiometric characteristics. Redundancy 48 analysis (RDA) result showed pH and available phosphorus were the potential determinant of soil 49 stoichiometry. 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 Keyword: Wetland plants, Ecological stoichiometry, Shengjin Lake, Environmental variables. 59 60 61 62 63 64 3 65 66 Introduction 67 Ecological stoichiometry is an important tool for studying ecological processes and functions (Shang B et 68 al., 2018). Besides, it uses to explore the dynamic balance of various elements and their interactions (Moorthi 69 S D et al., 2016) and limitation of plant growth (Chen et al., 2016). Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus 88 community type (Shang et al., 2013) can determine these nutrients and in turn it can be used for the 89 accumulation and allocation of plant biomass (Lie and Li, 2016). Because of human interference (Sardans 90 and Penuelas, 2014), climate change, hydrological fluctuation, aquatic and offshore environment wetlands 91 have been greatly affected. This is posing great impacts on vegetation and ecosystems (Qin et al.2014). C: N 92 and N: P ratio can be used as effective indicators for the health conditions and growth status of plants (Vrede 93 et al., 2004; Hessen et al., 2007) and understating the life strategies of plants (Wu ...

Lake Chamo riparian wetland is currently subjected to intensive farmland expansion and over grazing more than previously experienced. These coupled threats are escalating primarily riparian vegetation deforestation and resulted in pronounced nutrient imbalance and shrinking wetland size. The current study investigated spatial soil stoichiometric distribution of C, N, P, S, K and Ca in wetland, farm and grazing land around Chamo Lake riparian wetland, Ethiopian Rift valley. Farm and grazing lands are included as a study site because they were identified part of riparian wetland previously. The results showed high total nitrogen, sulfur, calcium and potassium concentrations in farmland. Grazing land showed high total phosphorus but soil organic carbon. In farmland, available phosphorus was revealed low that justify phosphorus scarcity as a result of crop harvesting for animal feed. The N: P exhibited low in wetland site that implies the effect of crop cultivation and livestock production in the surrounding catchment that increases N input in the wetland site. Soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and potassium were positively correlated with moisture content. Soil organic carbon, potassium, C: N, N: P and C: K was negatively correlated with pH. Total nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium and available nitrogen were related positively with clay contents. We recommended that conservation activities such as participatory wetland management and promoting none agricultural economy to the unemployed youths and creating wetland reserved areas as a buffer zone of the study area could enhance the rehabilitation of the degradation wetland in this study area.