Response of corn to chicken dung and rice hull ash application and mycorrhizal fungi inoculation

By Luz Geneston-Asio, Central Analytical Services Lab, VSU, Baybay, Leyte

The use of locally available and cheap organic fertilizers like chicken dung and rice hull ash which have the ability to increase crop yield and at the same time improve soil quality is becoming popular among farmers in many places in the Philippines. In addition, considering that the world demand for corn as food and feed is projected to greatly increase in the coming decades, there is a need to explore the use of such materials for corn production.

We evaluated the growth and yield responses of corn to chicken dung and rice hull ash application a well as to mycorrhizal fungi inoculation. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot in Randomized Complete Block Design consisting of three replications. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) inoculation served as the main plot while application of fertilizer was designated as the subplot. The fertilizer treatments included the following: To-control, T1-inorganic fertilizer (60-60-60 kg/ha N, P205, K20), T2-chicken dung alone (60 kg/ha N), T3-chicken dung (as in T2) + 30 kg/ha rice hull ash. The experimental area had an alluvial clay loam soil with pH of 5.8 and moderate fertility status.

Results showed that VAM inoculation significantly increased the total N but not the total P, K, and Ca contents of the tissue of corn plant. However, VAM inoculation did not significantly affect the grain yield and the agronomic characteristics of corn. In contrast, fertilization using inorganic fertilizer, chicken dung or chicken dung plus rice hull ash enhanced the early tasseling and silking but not emergence and maturity of corn. The application of fertilizers significantly increased plant height as well as the fresh stover yield compared to the control plants.

The inorganic fertilizer, chicken dung, and chicken dung plus rice hull ash significantly increased the number of ears per plant, ear length, number of grains per ear, weight of 1000 seeds, grain yield and harvest index. The use of chicken dung combined with rice hull ash for corn production is a good substitute for the inorganic fertilizer in increasing corn grain yield. (Above photo shows VAM infection in the root of corn from this study).

Reference

Luz Geneston-Asio and Alfredo B. Escasinas. 2006. Response of corn to chicken dung and rice hull ash application and mycorrhizal fungi inoculation. Annals of Tropical Research 26: 23-36

Effects of Lantana camara on soil properties and neighboring plants

Lantana camara Linn, locally called Utot-utot, Koronitas or Kantotoy in the Philippines, is a shrub which originated from tropical America. It is considered as one of the worst invasive plant species and is a noxious weed in many parts of the world.

The plant is known to suppress the regeneration of neighboring plants through allelopathic effects (by releasing volatile and non-volatile chemicals from its tissues and residues). The spread of Lantana is aided by the characteristic of its leaves which is somewhat poisonous to animals while its fruit is a delicacy for many birds which distribute the seeds (Wikipedia).

In a recent study published in Geoderma journal, Ling Fan and co-workers evaluated the chemical and microbiological properties of the soil underneath the canopy of Lantana camara as well as the soil away from it. They also investigated the effect of Lantana on the growth of three neighboring plant species (ryegrass, mungbean, and radish).

Results revealed that the soils underneath the canopy of Lantana had higher pH, total N, total P, available N and available P than the soils on the edge of the canopy and 2-5 m away from the Lantana plant. Soil respiration, enzyme activities, and microbial biomass N and P were higher in the soils underneath the canopy of Lantana than that away from it.

The study showed that Lantana camara improved soil fertility, accelerated N and P cycles, utilized carbon substrate more effectively, had higher functional diversity and did not inhibit the growth of the neighboring plant species.

Reference
Ling Fan, Yan Chen, Jian-gang Yuan and Zhong-yi Yang. 2010. The effect of Lantana camara Linn invasion on soil chemical and microbiological properties and plant biomass accumulation in southern China. Geoderma 154: 370-378.