Sustainable Improvement of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Yield Through Soil Amendments with Probiotic and Organic Manures

Abstract

The present research work was conducted at Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Laboratory and the experimental field under Institute of Biological Sciences (IBSc), Rajshahi University and Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Agronomy and Agricultural Extension, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh during the period from July 2016 to June 2019 to study the sustainable improvement of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield through soil amendments with probiotic and organic manures. The treatments used in the research consisted of two factors i.e. factor-A (wheat varieties) viz. BARI wheat-28 (V1), BARI wheat-29 (V2), BARI wheat-30 (V3) and factor-B (soil amendments) viz. Rice straw + vermicompost + green manure (T1), Cow dung + vermicompost + green manure (T2), Compost + vermicompost + green manure (T3), Poultry manure + vermicompost + green manure (T4), Trichoderma harzianum + vermicompost + green manure (T5), Mung bean residue + vermicompost + green manure (T6), Trichoderma viride + vermicompost + green manure (T7), Chemical fertilizer (T8) and Control (T0). Sesbania rostrata was produced as green manure crop in this study. The experiment was designed as randomized complete block design (RCBD) having three replications. Initially the soil was analyzed and mainly featured with loam textured, bulk densities 1.27 g/cc, particle densities 2.65 g/cc, pH 8.10 and organic matter 1.20%. After organic amendments the value in respect of bulk density, particle density and sand particles which were found to be decreased though porosity, moisture content and silt particles were increased. The chemical characters of soil like pH and carbon nitrogen ratio were noted as negative changes with probiotic and organic manures amendments. Furthermore, the organic matter content, total N, exchangeable K, available P, available S, available Zn and electrical conductivity were found to be improved during the three sequential years of the study. Seedling infection (14 days after sowing) and seedling blight (21 days after sowing) was examined and recorded significant reduction by the application of probiotic and organic manures. The probiotic fungi T. harzianum (T5) significantly reduced the seedling infection and seedling blight by 86% and 81% in comparison with control treatment. xiii Total dry matter content increased with increasing the age of the crop. The leaf area index and crop growth rate was lower at the early stage of crop growth and reached a maximum during 55 and 55-70 days after sowing and then declined. All the aforesaid growth parameters were improved by the application of probiotic and organic manures application and produced maximum value especially with poultry manure combination (T4) over control. Studied yield contributing characters including plant height, total plant/m2, total tiller/plant, effective tiller/plant, awn length, spike length, spikelet/spike, fertile spikelet/spike, grains/spike, deformed grains/spike, grain weight/spike and 1000-grain weight were influenced significantly due to application of organic amendments. As grain yield positively linked with the above mentioned yield contributing characters, thus grain yield was significantly enhanced with organic amendments. Besides this, the straw yield and harvest index was also recorded upturned with the similar amendments. Grain yield, straw yield and harvest index showed 73%, 27% and 22% greater response at the final research period under poultry manure combination (T4) over control. Seed quality parameters such as germination, vigor index and total soluble protein content significantly affected by different organic amendments. Among the treatments, poultry manure combination (T4) exhibited higher results in this regard, whereas lower value was recorded in control. However, with few exceptions, V3 (BARI Wheat-30) and T4 (Poultry manure + vermicompost + green manure) not only individually performed better results than others but also their interactivity (V3T4) exhibited better results under this study. In connection with the above findings, it can be recommended that the wheat growers to adopt the most efficient soil amendment option poultry manure + vermicompost + green manure (T4) to improve soil fertility and productivity by its positive changing ability and to enhance the growth, yield and grain quality of wheat in a sustainable manner.