Effect of organic amendments based on date palm residues on barley crop (Hordeum vulgare L.) in an oasian environment: case of the Oued Righ region, Algeria.

Abstract

Abstract The Saharan soils are known to be poor in organic matter and mineral elements essential to plants. In this context, the field trial has been conducted in the experimental station of the National Institute of Agronomic Research of Algeria (INRAA) of Sidi Mehdi Touggourt in order to improve soil agronomic suitability of the region’s palm groves and increase yields. The trial examined the effect of five treatments, including an unamended control and four combinations of organic amendments and/or chemical fertilizer (compost, biochar + compost, biochar + fertilizer and fertilizer alone) on some growth and yield parameters of the barley crop (number of tillers per plant, plant height, and grain yield). A randomized experimental design with three repetitions was used. For all studied parameters, the biochar + fertilizer treatment ranked first compared to the other treatments. In terms of grain yields, it exceeded 51 qt/ha followed by fertilizer treatment (49.9 qt/ha). The compost amendment gave a yield of 36.6 qt/ha. The biochar + compost treatment and the control (cultivated without amendment) were the last with yields of 30.8qt/ha and 27.7 qt/ha, respectively. The statistical study revealed significant to very highly significant differences between treatments depending on the parameters.