M. M. Aysha Siddika, F.Jeyamangalam
This experiment was conducted at Pettai of Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, South India to evaluate the effects of different organic manures with various combinations on physical, chemical and physico-chemical properties of the soils and their impact on Sorghum. The treatments of this study were Farmyard manure, Vermicompost and Goat manure. These manures were applied to the field at different concentration and combination. After 30 days, the disturbed soil samples were collected and the soil physical, chemical and physico-chemical properties were analysed. Then Sorghum seeds were sown. Again soil samples were collected and the soil properties were analyzed after three months of applying manure. The Bulk Density (BD) and Particle Density (PD) had decreased in all the combinations other than control. Percentage of Water Holding Capacity (WHC), Pore Space (PS) and Saturated Moisture (SM) had increased. Vermicompost has a high water holding capacity, ideal porosity, high cation exchange capacity and high stability. Total porosity and aeration porosity increase along with the increase in particle size. Vermi compost contains most nutrients in plant available forms such as phosphates, exchangeable calcium and soluble potassium (Marinari et al., 2008). The soil available K increased significantly with raising the vermicompost rate.
Farmyard manure, Vermicompost, Goat manure, amendment.