Abstract
Abstract The promotion of organic farming involves curtailing extensive use of mineral fertilizers. The present study was aimed to compare the effects of vermicompost (10 Mg ha –1 ), commercial mineral fertilizer (NPK—100:80:80), and their combination on (1) the growth of a major cash crop “onion” ( Allium cepa L.) and (2) the changes that may have occurred in the amended soil. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four replications during the crop‐growing season of 2008/09. Results showed significantly higher plant growth in the combined/mix treatment of vermicompost and NPK, as measured by the vegetative growth of bulbs, number and length of tillers per bulb, and fresh weight of bulbs and by the biochemical characteristics of the onion tillers/leaves (total chlorophyll, caretenoids, protein, and total sugar contents). Comparison of the mixed treatment as compared to the control showed increases in bulb size (54%), total number of bulbs per bed (52%), and fresh weight of all bulbs (198%). The chemical properties and enzyme activity of the amended soil also improved significantly in the combined treatment as compared to the application of vermicompost or the mineral fertilizer alone. Total organic C, microbial biomass C, and sulfate content were significantly higher in the mix treatment, with increases of 60%, 127%, and 126%, respectively, as compared to those of the chemical‐fertilizer‐alone treatment. Similarly, β‐glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, and dehydrogenase were significantly higher by 145%, 91%, 71%, respectively, in the mix treatment as compared to those of fertilizer‐alone application. This study indicates that application of a combination of mineral fertilizer and vermicompost in the field can positively influence the biological properties and fertility of soils, and support better plant growth, when compared to the application of mineral fertilizer or vermicompost alone. The study suggests that this combined application can reduce the quantity and cost of mineral‐fertilizers application for bulbous‐crop cultivation by 50%, while also sustaining soil biological activity of tropical and subtropical soils.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Combined vermicompost and NPK increased onion vegetative and bulb growth.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.
Allium cepat0 - Treatment
- combined/mix treatment of vermicompost and NPKe0
- Outcome
- vegetative growth of bulbs, number and length of tillers per bulb, and fresh weight of bulbse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Results showed significantly higher plant growth in the combined/mix treatment of vermicompost and NPK, as measured by the vegetative growth of bulbs, number and length of tillers per bulb, and fresh weight of bulbs”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined vermicompost and NPK increased onion leaf biochemical characteristics.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae0
- Organ / stage
- tillers/leavese0
- Treatment
- combined/mix treatment of vermicompost and NPKe1
- Outcome
- total chlorophyll, caretenoids, protein, and total sugar contentse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“biochemical characteristics of the onion tillers/leaves (total chlorophyll, caretenoids, protein, and total sugar contents)”
e1“Results showed significantly higher plant growth in the combined/mix treatment of vermicompost and NPK, as measured by the vegetative growth of bulbs, number and length of tillers per bulb, and fresh weight of bulbs”
t0“combined application of vermicompost and mineral fertilizer”
Claim · model-written summary
Mixed treatment increased bulb size by 54% versus control.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Treatment
- mixed treatmente0
- Outcome
- bulb sizee0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Value
- 54%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Comparison of the mixed treatment as compared to the control showed increases in bulb size (54%), total number of bulbs per bed (52%), and fresh weight of all bulbs (198%).”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mixed treatment increased bulbs per bed by 52% versus control.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Treatment
- mixed treatmente0
- Outcome
- total number of bulbs per bede0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Value
- 52%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Comparison of the mixed treatment as compared to the control showed increases in bulb size (54%), total number of bulbs per bed (52%), and fresh weight of all bulbs (198%).”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mixed treatment increased fresh bulb weight by 198% versus control.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Treatment
- mixed treatmente0
- Outcome
- fresh weight of all bulbse0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Value
- 198%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Comparison of the mixed treatment as compared to the control showed increases in bulb size (54%), total number of bulbs per bed (52%), and fresh weight of all bulbs (198%).”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mix treatment raised soil organic C by 60% versus fertilizer alone.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Treatment
- mix treatmente0
- Outcome
- Total organic Ce0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 60%e0
- Comparator
- chemical‐fertilizer‐alone treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total organic C, microbial biomass C, and sulfate content were significantly higher in the mix treatment, with increases of 60%, 127%, and 126%, respectively, as compared to those of the chemical‐fertilizer‐alone treatment.”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mix treatment raised soil microbial biomass C by 127%.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Treatment
- mix treatmente0
- Outcome
- microbial biomass Ce0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 127%e0
- Comparator
- chemical‐fertilizer‐alone treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total organic C, microbial biomass C, and sulfate content were significantly higher in the mix treatment, with increases of 60%, 127%, and 126%, respectively, as compared to those of the chemical‐fertilizer‐alone treatment.”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mix treatment raised soil sulfate by 126%.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Treatment
- mix treatmente0
- Outcome
- sulfate contente0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 126%e0
- Comparator
- chemical‐fertilizer‐alone treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total organic C, microbial biomass C, and sulfate content were significantly higher in the mix treatment, with increases of 60%, 127%, and 126%, respectively, as compared to those of the chemical‐fertilizer‐alone treatment.”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mix treatment raised soil β-glucosidase by 145%.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Treatment
- mix treatmente0
- Outcome
- β‐glucosidasee0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 145%e0
- Comparator
- fertilizer‐alone applicatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“β‐glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, and dehydrogenase were significantly higher by 145%, 91%, 71%, respectively, in the mix treatment as compared to those of fertilizer‐alone application.”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mix treatment raised soil alkaline phosphatase by 91%.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Treatment
- mix treatmente0
- Outcome
- alkaline phosphatasee0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 91%e0
- Comparator
- fertilizer‐alone applicatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“β‐glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, and dehydrogenase were significantly higher by 145%, 91%, 71%, respectively, in the mix treatment as compared to those of fertilizer‐alone application.”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mix treatment raised soil dehydrogenase by 71%.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Treatment
- mix treatmente0
- Outcome
- dehydrogenasee0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 71%e0
- Comparator
- fertilizer‐alone applicatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“β‐glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, and dehydrogenase were significantly higher by 145%, 91%, 71%, respectively, in the mix treatment as compared to those of fertilizer‐alone application.”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest combined fertilizer use could halve mineral fertilizer for bulb crops.
- Taxon
- Allium cepa L.Allium cepat0
- Outcome
- reduce the quantity and cost of mineral‐fertilizers applicatione0
- Value
- 50%e0
- Qualifier
- while also sustaining soil biological activitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The study suggests that this combined application can reduce the quantity and cost of mineral‐fertilizers application for bulbous‐crop cultivation by 50%, while also sustaining soil biological activity of tropical and subtropical soils.”
t0“Allium cepa L.”
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See all 530 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.