GROWTH AND PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE OF SORGHUM PLANTS IN SALT AFFECTED SOIL AS AFFECTED BY ORGANIC MATERIALS COMPOSTED WITH ROCK PHOSPHATE

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to determine the influence of different organic materials, Farm yard manure (FYM), Humic acid (HA) and Press mud (PM) and their composts prepared with rock phosphate on the growth and phosphorus (P) uptake of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). The experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block design with three replication in salt affected soil at research farm of botanical garden Azakhel Nowshera during kharif 2012. Fertilizers were applied at the rate of 120- 90-60 kg ha-1 N, P and K, respectively. The source of N was urea and organic materials in composted and non composted form. Single super phosphate, rock phosphate, organic materials and their composts were used as P source, while sulphate of potash was used as source of K. The organic materials were applied before crop sowing at recommended level on the basis of their P content. The maximum and significantly (p≤0.05) increased sorghum total dry matter yield of 23733 kg ha-1, emergence m-2 of 142 and plant height of 147 cm were observed in the treatment where composts of FYM, HA and PM were applied in combination. Increase in soil organic matter content was recorded by the application of composts of different organic materials, while decreasing trend was found in the values of soil electrical conductivity (ECe) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). Maximum plant N uptake of 159 kg ha-1, P uptake of 62.5 kg ha-1 and K uptake of 557 kg ha-1 were noted in the treatment where a combination of composts of FYM, HA and PM were added. Results suggest that the use of composts of different organic materials and RP are environment friendly and have the potential to improve sorghum growth, plants nutrient uptake and ameliorate salt affected soils.