THE ROLE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZER PREPARED FROM PLANT AND ANIMAL RESIDUES AT THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION FOR PURE SCIENCES / UNIVERSITY OF DIYALA AND THE STUDY OF ITS EFFECT ON THE GERMINATION AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SWISS CHARD (BETA VULGARIS L)
Keywords:
Organic fertilizer, Organic waste, Beta vulgaris L., Vegetative growthAbstract
A study was carried out to demonstrate how the college of education for Pure Sciences of the University of Diyala converts its organic food waste and plant waste into organic compost and what the effects are of the use of this compost in different concentrations (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) on the germination and the growth of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L). The compost was prepared by combining fresh green residues, cattle manure, and dry brown materials at a ratio of 3:1:1, respectively. The mixture was stored in a sealed container and subjected to periodic turning over a three-month decomposition period. Subsequent chemical analysis of the resulting compost confirmed its considerable richness in both macro- and micronutrients essential for plant development. We began cultivating Swiss chard seedlings in plastic pots, using a completely randomized block design with three distinct treatment categories. First, a control soil lacking any compost was used. The second treatment involved mixing 50 g compost per 5 kg of soil. The third treatment used 200 g of compost per 5 kg of soil. There were four replicates for each category. The trial has demonstrated that the 200 g rate showed a statistical significant advantage in all studied indicators of vegetative growth and biomass production, where the area of leaves rose to 74.62 cm² and the fresh weight of roots was measured as 19 g. Both indicators improved 530% and 850%, respectively, Compared to the control treatment. The germination percentage wasn't statistically influenced among all trials. Using compost at the rate of 200 g per 5 kg of soil favors growing the Swiss chard according to the study. The application rate of this type of fertilizer led to high productivity. Moreover, the use of organic compost derived from university waste as organic matter significantly improves yield and provides an alternative to chemical fertilizers.
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