Effect of mixing pine needles with manures and fertilizers on soil properties and biomass production of cabbage

Abstract

Possibilities of manipulating the nutrient availability from organic and inorganic sources by the addition of pine needles were assessed. A replicated pot scale study on cabbage cv. Golden Acre was conducted in the polyhouse at College of Horticulture and Forestry, Pasighat. Arunachal Pradesh. Fertilizers NPK (150:80:80 kg ha^-1) and three sources of manures viz. green manure (Sesbania aculeata), farm yard manure (FYM) and vermicompost were applied alone or in combination with pine needles (20 t ha^-1). Application of pine needles showed varied response for biomass production with organic and inorganic source of the nutrients. Total biomass production of the cabbage increased significantly (12- 14%) in case of inorganic fertilizers and decreased significantly (10-52%) with manures due to pine needles application. It also caused reduction in bulk density and increase in porosity and maximum water holding capacity of the soil. Pine needles reduced the 0.5 M KZSOa extractable total nitrogen from green manure, FYM and vermicompost treated soil, whereas, it increased in soil with NPK treatment. The available P content was increased by 4.0-11.8 mg kg^-1 and decreased by 2.9 mg kg^-1 due to pine needles application in different manure and NPK treated soils, respectively. This modifying effect of pine needles on different nutrients sources can be utilized for manipulating nutrient availability.