EFFECT OF BIOCHAR AND HUMIC ACID ON FERTILIZER USE AND YIELD OF MAIZE (Zea mays ...

213 Pages·2016·3.27 MB·English

EFFECT OF BIOCHAR AND HUMIC
ACID ON FERTILIZER USE AND YIELD
OF
MAIZE (Zea mays L.) IN ALFISOLS OF
SOUTHERN TELANGANA REGION OF
ANDHRAPRADESH

P. MADHAVI

B.Sc. (Ag.)

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE
(Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry)

2014
EFFECT OF BIOCHAR AND HUMIC ACID ON
FERTILIZER USE AND YIELD OF
MAIZE (Zea mays L.) IN ALFISOLS OF
SOUTHERN TELANGANA REGION OF
ANDHRAPRADESH

By

P. MADHAVI
B.Sc. (Ag.)

THESIS SUBMITTED TO
ACHARYA N. G. RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE
(Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry)

CHAIRPERSON: Dr. V. SAILAJA

DEPARTMENT OF SOIL SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURAL
CHEMISTRY
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD-500 030
ACHARYA N. G. RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

2014
CERTIFICATE

Ms. P. MADHAVI has satisfactorily prosecuted the course of research and that
thesis entitled “EFFECT OF BIOCHAR AND HUMIC ACID ON FERTILIZER
USE AND YIELD OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) IN ALFISOLS OF SOUTHERN
TELANGANA REGION OF ANDHRAPRADESH” submitted is the result of
original research work and is of sufficiently high standard to warrant its presentation to
the examination. I also certify that neither the thesis nor its part there of has been
previously submitted by her for a degree of any university.

Date: (Dr. V. SAILAJA)
Place: Hyderabad Chair Person
DECLARATION
I, P. MADHAVI, hereby declare that the thesis entitled “EFFECT OF
BIOCHAR AND HUMIC ACID ON FERTILIZER USE AND YIELD OF MAIZE
(Zea mays L.) IN ALFISOLS OF SOUTHERN TELANGANA REGION OF
ANDHRA PRADESH” submitted to the Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural
University for the degree of Master of Science in Agriculture is the result of original
research work done by me. I also declare that no material contained in the thesis has
been published earlier in any manner.

Place: Hyderabad (P. MADHAVI)
I. D. No. RAM/12-78
Date:
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the thesis entitled “EFFECT OF BIOCHAR AND HUMIC
ACID ON FERTILIZER USE AND YIELD OF MAIZE (Zea mays l.) IN ALFISOLS
OF SOUTHERN TELANGANA REGION OF ANDHRAPRADESH” submitted in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
AGRICULTURE of the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad is a record of
the bonafide research work carried out by Ms. P. MADHAVI our guidance and supervision. The
subject of the thesis has been approved by the Student’s Advisory Committee.
No part of the thesis has been submitted for any other degree or diploma or has
been published. The published part has been fully acknowledged. All the assistance and
help received during the course of investigation have been duly acknowledged by the
author of the thesis.
Thesis approved by the Student’s Advisory Committee
Chairman : (Dr. V. SAILAJA)
Associate Professor
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry
_________________
College of Agriculture, ANGRAU,
Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030

Member : (Dr. T. RAM PRAKASH)
Senior Scientist (Soil Science)
AICRP on weed control _________________
Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030

Member : (Dr. S. A. HUSSAIN)
Professor
Department of Agronomy
_________________
College of Agriculture, ANGRAU,
Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030

Date of final viva-voce:
LIST OF CONTENTS

Chapter Title Page No.

I INTRODUCTION

II REVIEW OF LITERATURE

III MATERIAL AND METHODS

IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

V SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

VI LITERATURE CITED

APPENDICES
LIST OF TABLES

Table Page
TITLE
No. No.
1 Soil physical, physico-chemical and chemical properties of the
experimental site
2
Characterization of biochar and humic acid
3
Cropping history of the experimental plot
4 Dry matter production (kg ha-1) at 30 DAS of maize as influenced
by fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
5 Dry matter production (kg ha-1) at 60 DAS of maize as influenced
by fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
6 Seed yield (q ha-1) of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and
humic acid levels and their interaction
7 Stover yield (q ha-1) of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and hu mic
acid levels and their interaction
8 Nitrogen content (%) of maize at 30 DAS as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
9 Nitrogen content (%) of maize at 60 DAS as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
10 Nitrogen content (%) of maize seed as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
11 Nitrogen content (%) of maize stover as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
12 Phosphorus content (%) of maize at 30 DAS as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
13 Phosphorus content (%) of maize at 60 DAS as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
14 Phosphorus content (%) of maize seed as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
15 Phosphorus content (%) of maize stover as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
Potassium content (%) of maize at 30 DAS as influenced by
16
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
17 Potassium content (%) of maize at 60 DAS as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
18 Potassium content (%) of maize seed as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
19 Potassium content (%) of maize stover as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
20 Sulphur content (%) of maize at 30 DAS as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
21 Sulphur content (%) of maize at 60 DAS as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
22 Sulphur content (%) of maize seed as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
23 Sulphur content (%) of maize stover as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
24 Dehydrogenase activity (µg TPF g-1 soil day-1) in the soil at 30
DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and humic acid
levels and their interaction
25 Dehydrogenase activity (µg TPF g-1 soil day-1) in the soil at 60
DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and humic acid
levels and their interaction
26 Dehydrogenase activity (µg TPF g-1 soil day-1) in the soil at
harvest of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and humic
acid levels and their interaction
27 Acid phosphatase activity (µg p-nitro phenol g-1 soil h-1) in the soil
at 30 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and humic
acid levels and their interaction
28 Acid phosphatase activity (µg p-nitro phenol g-1 soil h-1) in the soil
at 60 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and humic
acid levels and their interaction
29 Acid phosphatase activity (µg p-nitro phenol g-1 soil h-1) in the soil
at harvest of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and humic
acid levels and their interaction
30 Alkaline phosphatase activity (µg p-nitro phenol g-1 soil h-1) in the
soil at 30 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and
humic acid levels and their interaction
31 Alkaline phosphatase activity (µg p-nitro phenol g-1 soil h-1) in the
soil at 60 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and
humic acid levels and their interaction
32 Alkaline phosphatase activity (µg p-nitro phenol g-1 soil h-1) in the
soil at harvest of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and
humic acid levels and their interaction
33 Soil pH at 30 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar
and humic acid levels and their interaction
34 Soil pH at 60 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar
and humic acid levels and their interaction
35 Soil pH at harvest of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and
humic acid levels and their interaction
36 Soil EC at 30 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar
and humic acid levels and their interaction
37 Soil EC at 60 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar
and humic acid levels and their interaction
38 Soil EC at harvest of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar and
humic acid levels and their interaction
39 Cation exchange capacity of soil at 30 DAS of maize as influenced
by fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
40 Cation exchange capacity of soil at 60 DAS of maize as influenced
by fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
41 Cation exchange capacity of soil at harvest of maize as influenced
by fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
42 Soil OC (%) at 30 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
43 Soil OC (%) at 60 DAS of maize as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
44 Soil OC (%) at harvest of maize as influenced by fertiliser, biochar
and humic acid levels and their interaction
45 Available N (kg ha-1) at 30 DAS of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
46 Available N (kg ha-1) at 60 DAS of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
47 Available N (kg ha-1) at harvest of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
48 Available P (kg ha-1) at 30 DAS of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
49 Available P (kg ha-1) at 60 DAS of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
50 Available P (kg ha-1) at harvest of maize as influenced by fertiliser,
biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
51 Available K (kg ha-1) at 30 DAS of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
52 Available K (kg ha-1) at 60 DAS of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
53 Available K (kg ha-1) at harvest of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
54 Available S (ppm ha-1) at 30 DAS of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
55 Available S (ppm ha-1) at 60 DAS of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction
56 Available S (ppm ha-1) at harvest of maize as influenced by
fertiliser, biochar and humic acid levels and their interaction

LIST OF PLATES
Plate No. Title Page No.
1 General view of experimental site
2 Different treatments

LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Page
Title
No.
No.
I Weekly meteorological data of maize during Kharif, 2013
II Cost of cultivation
III Calendar of Operations