Effect of chicken manuring with Zn and Fe foliar application on cassava grown in a degraded Yasothon soil series

Abstract

The study was carried out in on farm trial in Dan Khunthod district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, aiming at investigating the effect of chicken manuring with Zn and Fe foliar application and nutrient concentration in leaves of cassava grown on Yasothon soil series (Typic Paleustult). The experimental design used was Factorial in RCBD with four replications. The first factor was no application of chicken manure (C1) and chicken manuring at the rate of 500 kg/rai (C2) and the other factor was Zn and Fe foliar application at the respective rates of 3.0 and 0.8 kg/rai for each application, comprising no foliar application (T1), applying Zn at one-month (T2), one- and two-month (T3), one-, two- and three-month (T4), applying Zn-Fe at one-month (T5), and one- and two-month after planting. Complete fertilizer (15-15-15) was applied twice, each time at the rate of 50 kg/rai when the plant was one and three months old. Nutrient concentration analysis was undertaken on three-month old leave and th at ten month of age. Results showed that chicken manuring resulted in slightly higher fresh tuber yield than did without this addition (2.72 compared to 2.57 ton/rai). A single Zn foliar application tended to give the highest yield of 3.06 ton/rai and the combined effect between chicken manuring and a single Zn foliar application had a tendency of giving the highest yield (3.21 ton/rai). Application of chicken manure induced significantly higher P and K concentration in leaves than did the one without this addition whereas foliar application and the combined effect were indifferent in the context of nutrient concentration. However, major nutrients, Zn and Fe concentration showed no relationship with fresh tuber yield.e yield was harvested