Document Type : Research articles.
Authors
1
Soils and Water Depart., Fac. of Agric., El Fayoum University, Egypt
2
Soils, Water and Environ. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt
Abstract
The current work aimed to evaluate the effect of some
micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) in mineral (sulphates) and chelated
(-amino acids and -EDTA) forms added to soil in solely or in combined
treatments with both organic composts (wheat residues and cattle wastes)
and sulphur on grain and straw yields as well as their contents of such
micronutrients for wheat-maize cropping sequence in a calcareous soil,
with special reference to the effects of these treatments on available soil
contents of these micronutrients. To achieve this target two field
experiments were conducted on a calcareous soil located at the eastern
edge of Tamia district, El Fayoum Governorate, and cultivated with
winter wheat (Sakha 69) followed by summer maize (single cross 10
hybrid) to verify the results obtained during growing season of 2003/2004
under surface irrigation system.
The data obtained reveal that the experimental soil is characterized
by secondary calcic formations in compacted phase, especially in the
uppermost layer, and micronutrient deficient. The soil is classified at the
family level as Typic Haplocalcids, clayey, mixed, hyperthermic. Also, its
capability was evaluated as marginally suitable (S3ws), with a moderate
intensity degree (rating = 60-85) for all the identified soil limitations
(wetness, soil texture, soil depth and CaCO3 content). The results
showed an improvement occurred in available micronutrient contents (Fe,
Mn, Zn and Cu) in the studied soil as a result of the applied treatments,
with different magnitudes depend on their effective roles, nature of
chemical composition, as shown in the following descending order:
mineral micronutrients + organic composts > micronutrients + sulphur >
chelated micronutrients > organic composts + sulphur > mineral
micronutrients > organic composts > sulphur.
The favourable conditions of the combined treatments with organic
composts or sulphur are commonly achieved by lowering soil pH and
forming organo-metalic compounds. The chelated micronutrients (-amino
acids and –EDTA) represented the next superior form due to a higher
portion of these compounds still in maintained active forms for uptake by
plant roots.
The beneficial effects of the studied treatments were actually
reflected on increasing the grain and straw yields of wheat and also
extended to the next cultivated maize. In addition, the positive effects of
the studied treatments are more attributed to improve the efficiency of
micronutrients uptake according to their effective roles. Moreover, the
micronutrients response of Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu to accumulate in the grain
and straw tissues showed a closely relationship to their corresponding
available contents in the treated soils.
Keywords
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