Impact of organic fertilizer on some chemical properties of soil, nutrient availability and yield of the wheat-rice cropping system

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at the farm of Agricultural Research Station, Sakha, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt, from the beginning of the 2019 winter season to the end of the 2021 summer season. It aimed to study the performance of some wheat and rice Egyptian cultivars under various organic and inorganic fertilization treatments. The interactions between fertilizer treatment and the wheat and rice cultivars were significant in all studied seasons. Masr 2 cultivar gave the highest grain yield with fertilized by NPK alone or compost +2/3NPK. Concerning the rice crop yield, the highest rice grain yield was found in the combination of Sakha 108 with the application of NPK alone. Application of compost alone or combined with chemical fertilizer reduced the soil pH significantly compared to the control after harvesting rice and wheat. Electrical conductivity showed an increasing trend with the application of NPK fertilizer. The application of rice straw compost increased the organic matter percentage. - Adding organic fertilizer increases the available nitrogen in the soil. The highest values of available soil phosphorus were recorded when 2/3 of NPK fertilizer was applied with compost. Organic materials treatments enhance available potassium in the studied seasons.