Effect of acidified press mud on growth of Emblica officinalis (Aonla) and soil properties in the semi-arid region

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on sandy loam calcareous soil in Palwan village of district Jind, Haryana in order to study the effect of four levels of Acidified Press Mud (APM) viz., 0, 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0 kg APM/ plant on growth of aonla (Emblica officinalis) and soil properties. In the study, it was observed that application of 15.0 kg APM/plant of aonla gave significantly higher mean growth (height 342.25 cm and girth 23.75 cm) over control. The mean increase in aonla height with the application of 15.0, 10.0 and 5.0 kg APM/plant over the control was 53.87, 29.89 and 13.48%, respectively. Application of 15.0 kg APM/plant registered an increase of 80.88% in aonla girth over the control. The concentration of all the nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Mn) in aonla plants were significantly increased with increased levels of APM/plant over the control, while concentration of Na in aonla plants decreased with increased levels of APM/plant. The availability of N, P, K and Ca + Mg in soil also found to increase significantly with increasing levels of APM application. However, Na content in soil was decreased with increasing levels of APM over control. The pH of the soil was decreased from 8.43 in no APM to 7.43 in 15.0 kg APM/plant. The electrical conductivity and organic C content of the soil were also significantly increased with increasing levels of APM/plant. The availability of the micronutrients (Zn, Fe and Mn) in soil recorded significantly higher levels with increasing levels of APM/plant over the control. This study suggests that the application of APM can enhance the aonla growth in poor fertile calcareous soils by improving soil fertility.