Consecutive application effects of washed rice water on plant growth, soil chemical properties, nutrient leaching, and soil bacterial population on three different soil textures over three planting cycles
The benefits of washed rice water (WRW) as a plant fertilizer, particularly over a consecutive application period, are not well studied. An experiment was therefore carried out to determine: the continuous effects of applying unfermented (F0) and 3-day fermented (F3) WRW on the: (1) soil chemical...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
MDPI
2022
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/100786/ https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/9/2220#:~:text=Washed%20Rice%20Water%20and%20Soil,%25%2C%20as%20compared%20to%20F3. |
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| Summary: | The benefits of washed rice water (WRW) as a plant fertilizer, particularly over a consecutive
application period, are not well studied. An experiment was therefore carried out to determine: the
continuous effects of applying unfermented (F0) and 3-day fermented (F3) WRW on the: (1) soil
chemical properties, soil bacterial count, and the growth and plant nutrient content of a test crop,
choy sum (Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis), grown on three contrasting soil textures (sandy clay
loam, clay, and silt loam); (2) nutrient leaching losses from these three soils due to the continuous
application of WRW; (3) crops’ improvement in water use, if any, in terms of its water productivity
(WP) and water use efficiency (WUE); and (4) the relationship between soil bacterial count and plant
growth parameters. The effects of F0 and F3 were compared with conventional NPK fertilizer and
a control (only tap water; CON). Two factors, treatments and soil types, were used factorially in a
randomized complete block design for three consecutive planting cycles. Results showed that NPK
and F3 produced a significantly (p < 0.01) higher plant growth in terms of fresh and dry leaf weights
and total leaf area by 5 to 61%, compared to that obtained in the other treatments. Furthermore,
plants receiving either NPK or F3 had a significantly higher plant nutrient content (P, K, Ca, Mg,
and Cu) in the third planting cycle. Clay soil treated with F3, NPK, and F0 had significantly higher
NH+
4
, P, Ca, Mg, Zn, and B, by 19 to 152% relative to the other soils, irrespective of treatments. Soil
nutrient leaching losses of P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, and B decreased with successive planting cycles for
all treatments. However, soils treated with either F3 or F0 experienced higher leaching of NH+
4
and
NO−
3
by 37 to 259% and 13 to 34%, respectively, relative to the NPK and CON. Plants treated with
either NPK or F3 also had higher WP by 21 to 42% than the other treatments. For all the treatments,
plants’ WUE increased with successive planting cycles; however, there was no significant difference
between the treatments. F3 stimulated a significantly higher growth and yield of choy sum due to its
nutrient and bacterial contents, and the continuous increase in plant growth with successive planting
cycles indicated the carryover effects of the treatments, particularly by F3. |
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