Integrated management of K -additives to improve the productivity of zucchini plants grown on a poor fertile sandy soil

Abstract

Three eco-friendly approaches were investigated for their effects onimproving K-uptake by zucchini plants; hence, increasing shoot growth and fruit productivity. These approaches were: (1) amending soil with biochar (0 and 5g kg -1 ), (2) spraying plants with Amphora extract (0 and 1g L -1 ) and (3) substituting inorganic-K fertilizers partially with organic ones. In this concern, five levels of compost (0, 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6 g kg -1 ) were applied to a poor fertile sandy soil (98.5% sand) in complementation with inorganic NPK-fertilizers to bring their concentrations, even in the control treatment, to the recommended levels. This investigation was conducted under the greenhouse conditions during the summer season of 2020. Results obtained herein reveal that application of either of biochar or Amphora extract exhibited positive effects on soil available-K (20 and 6.5% respectively), Kconcentrations in fruits and total K-uptake by the aboveground plant parts. Furthermore, these two amendments raised considerably the dry weights of both zucchini shoots and fruits. On the other hand, compost could partially substituteinorganic-K fertilizers when it was applied at a rate not exceeding 3gkg -1 ,recording significant improvements in all the investigated parameters. Nevertheless application of high compost doses reduced significantly fruit yield. Generally, there existed a highly significant linear relation between the total K-uptake by plants and fruit dry weights. Accordingly, treatments that improved considerably K-uptake by plants(the combination between foliar application of amphora extract + 5 g kg -1 biochar + 0-3 gkg -1 compost)recorded the highest improvements in productivity of zucchini plants.

Composting Animal and Plant Residues for Improving the Characteristics of a Clayey Soil and Enhancing the Productivity of Wheat Plant Grown Thereon

“…Such increases were more detectable with increasing the rate of applied composts from 15 Mg to25 Mg ha -1 . Similar results indicate the significant effect of compost on wheat (Elshony et al, 2019), maize (Pandit et al, 2020), zucchini (Tolba et al, 2021), faba bean (Farid et al, 2018 and 2021 a and b). Maybe these amendments enriched the soil with macro and micro-nutrients (Elshony et al, 2018); hence increased the chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll content and membrane stability (El-Mageed et al, 2019).…”

Integral effects of brassinosteroids and timber waste biochar enhances the drought tolerance capacity of wheat plant

“…This might take place via (I) increasing soil water retention, hence reducing soil irrigation demands 17 , (II) increasing nutrient use efficiency 18 , (III) stimulating auxin, gibberellin and brassinosteroids regulation 19 and (IV) increasing plant chlorophyll content 20 , stomatal conductance, cytotoxicity and leaf K + content 21 . This cost-effective carbon rich product is formed through the pyrolysis of organic residues under limited oxygen supply 22 , 23 to give a product of high porous aromatic carbon content 24 . It is worth mentioning that this product retains longer in soil versus other organic residues such as compost; hence mitigate climate changes through carbon sequestration 20 , 25 .…”

Evaluating Nanotechnology in raising the efficiency of some substances used in fertilizing wheat grown on sandy soil.

“…Sandy soil is widespread worldwide, especially in arid and semi-arid regions like Egypt and Iraq with many issues that hinder these soils' vertical and horizontal expansion. These soils possess poor physical and chemical characteristics as well as a low capacity to retain irrigation water and a low supply of nutrient elements e.g., N, P, and K (Tolba et al, 2021 andGaafar et al, 2021). Thus, the soil conditioners addition to the production system for all crops especially wheat crops toimprove plant growth and productivity (Sadek et al, 2011).…”