Organic amendments and urea nitrogen effects the growth and nutrient content of fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum) and goat pea (Securigera securidaca) |
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| Authors: | Ruhollah Naderi Mohsen Edalat Todd P Egan |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Crop Production and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran;2. Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Elmira College, Elmira, NY, USA |
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| Abstract: | AbstractIn Iran, the recent spike in herbal medicines has led to a corresponding price increase. Therefore, these montane species are now widely field cultivated. Medicinal plant consumers strongly prefer organically grown plants, and farmers are responding to this market. However, the effects of organic amendments on medicinal plant nutrient content and yield have been poorly studied. Therefore, this study measured the effects of different organic treatments on the growth of fenugreek and goat pea. Plants were grown to compare the effects of composted municipal waste (CMW), vermicompost (VC), and urea nitrogen (N) to untreated field soil (C0). Germination percentage was significantly higher in urea N (76.5%), CMW (75.5%), and VC (51.6%) compared to C0 (36.3%). Fenugreek performed better in organic amendment treatments than goat pea. Urea N also increased fenugreek plant dry matter significantly compared to C0, but this increment was not as high as CMW or VC. Plants grown in VC had higher whole plant N content (3.2%) than those grown in CMW (2.8%) and plants grown in urea N (2.6%). Plants treated with CMW (8613?mg kg?1) and VC (8503?mg kg?1) had a significantly higher P content than those treated with N (7430?mg kg?1) or C0 control grown (7236?mg kg?1). Application of VC significantly increased plant K content (2483?mg kg?1) compared to CMW (1850?mg kg?1), N (1750?mg kg?1), and C0 control (1716?mg kg?1). Even without fertilization, both plant species contained a considerable amount of micronutrient elements. |
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| Keywords: | compost medicinal plants sustainable agriculture vermicompost |
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