The 1th

International and The 4th

National Congress on Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture

26 – 27 April 2012 in Isfahan, Iran

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT COMPOST TEA ON ZINK, IRON AND

PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATION AND UPTAKE IN WHEAT

S.Rahmatpour1 (samaneh.rahmatpour@gmail.com), H.A.Alikhani

2 (halikhan@ut.ac.ir), R. Khalili

3

(rokhsareh_khalili@yahoo.com), L. Mohammadi4 (lemohammadi@ut.ac.ir)

1, 3, M. Sc, student, 2Associate Professor, 4 Expert College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran

ABSTRACT

Vermiwash is lateral product of vermicomposting process which contains nitrogen,

phosphorous and many micronutrients, hormones; etc.The purpose of this study was

evaluating methods of compost tea on Zn, Fe and P content in wheat plant. A green house

experiment was conducted in a factorial randomizes complete block design (RCBD) with

four replicates. The treatments were: 1- 15 type of compost tea ( including: various

substrate 1-Mature Vermicompost (MV) 2- Immature Vermicompost (IV) 3- Composter

Worm (CW), and also various species extractor including:1- distilled water with pH=5

(Wt5) 2- distilled water with pH=7 (Wt7) 3- distilled water with pH=9 (Wt9) 4- DTPA

(full strength) 5- DTPA 1/3 strength) and 2- consumption method (sterile and non sterile).

The results illustrated that the type of vermiwash hadn't significant difference on Zn, Fe

and P concentration on wheat grain.

Keywords: compost tea, Fe, P, vermiwash, wheat, Zn.

INTRODUTION

Excessive consumption of chemical fertilizers causes an imbalance of elements and

nutrients in the soil, reducing crop yields and hazard human and other organism health. A

variety of organic fertilizer which has been recently used causes the plant nutrient uptake

increase in soil. Organic fertilizer not only has many economic and environmental

benefits, in addition to create and maintain stability in soil resources, increase produce

long-term and reduce environmental pollution. Vermiwash contain earthworm enzyme

and secrecy that promote plant growth and yield and increase resistance of plant to

disease and pests. It also contains solved nutrient, some organic acids and earthworm

mucus (Shivsubramanian and Ganeshkumar, 2004). One field experiment conducted for

evaluation effect organic fertilizers, inorganic fertilizer and vermiwash on mullai

(Jasminum auriculatum) growth and yield in 2002-2003 years. Results illustrated

application vermiwash with 1:5 dilution increases plant height and leaves number

(Vidhyapriyadhaeshini and Anburani, 2008). Knewtson (2008) has shown that using of

vermiwash in two years study in different system management in cooperation control was

not effect on yield and wet weight collard green. Its may continues research for same or

different product and in long time have good results. Al-Mughrabi (2006) reported that

vermiwash application no effect on yield. This research was evaluating effects of

compost tea on Zn, Fe and P on seed wheat.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this experiment the earthworm (CW), mature (MV) and immature vermicompost (IV)

were provided from Vermicompost Research Center of Tehran University Faculty of Agricultural

The 1th

International and The 4th

National Congress on Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture

26 – 27 April 2012 in Isfahan, Iran

Engineering and Technology. First mature and immature vermicompost were air dried, passed

through a 2 mm sieve and extracted. The proportion of vermicompost to extractor used in

every compost tea production trial was 1:5 and the ratio of earthworm to extraction was

1:2. The experiment was fulfilled in a factorial randomizes complete block design

(RCBD) with four replicates. The treatments were: 1- 15 various compost tea (including: three

type of substrate 1-Mature Vermicompost (MV) 2- Immature Vermicompost (IV) 3- Composter

Worm (CW), and also five kinds of extractors including:1- distilled water with pH=5 (Wt5)

2- distilled water with pH=7 (Wt7) 3- distilled water with pH=9 (Wt9) 4- DTPA (full strenghth)

5- DTPA1/3 strenght) and 2- consumption method (sterile and non sterile). Samples were

shaking for 30 minute (150 rpm) and then were filtered. Wheat seeds (CV. Chamran)

were provided from Genetics and Plant Genetic Resources Research Department. Wheat

seeds of were surface-disinfected and germinated. Five seedlings were transplanted in

PVC pots with 3 kilogram soil. After two weeks, plants were thinned to three plants in

every pot. The experimental pots received 2/3 of their essential fertilizers without any

micronutrient except for the positive control treatments. The pots were maintained in

growth room with temperature 25±2˚C; 12 h light period and light intensity 10,000 lux

for 120 days. Plant samples were digested and Zn, Fe and P contents in final solution

were measured (Ryan et al., 2001). ANOVA was used to analyze the differences between

treatments. Duncan multiple range test was also performed to identify the homogeneous

type of the data sets among different treatment.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Type of vermiwash, consumption method and their interaction don’t effect significantly

on phosphorus concentration and uptake in wheat grain. The least and the most P uptake,

was observed in negative control and CW +DTPA1/3 strenght respectively (table1). In

contrast of present study, Todkari & Talashilkar (2001) and Edwards et al. (2006)

reported that vermiwash significantly effects on total NPK contents received by plants.

The amount of essential NPK was supplied thoroughly in former studies, but 2/3 of

essential chemical fertilizers were supplied in our research. Wittwer et al. (1963)

expressed that feeding through leaf was preferable than feeding through root due to P

uptake rate and entering to plant metabolism. But total P uptake through leaf than uptake

through root was negligible. Treatments had not significant different on Zn concentration

and uptake in wheat grain. The least and the most Zn uptake, was observed respectively

in CW+9 and MV+DTPA (table1). Edwards et al. (2006) reported although mineral

nutrients may be present in vermicompost tea; it could not be the main reason for

increases in growth. The leaves microorganisms and plant growth regulators such as

hormones, humic acids and fulvic acids as the most probable mechanisms for growth

increases of plants. The type of vemiwash hadn’t significant on Fe concentration and

uptake in wheat grain but Fe concentration and uptake in treatment IV+DTPA were

significantly higher than positive control (table1).

Table 1. Comparison of the concentrations of Zn, Fe and P in wheat grain between plots receiving

different vermiwash. treat U. Fe

(mg/kg)

U. Zn

(mg/kg)

U. P

(mg/kg)

Con. Fe

(mg/kg)

Con. Zn

(mg/kg)

Con.

P(mg/kg)

The 1th

International and The 4th

National Congress on Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture

26 – 27 April 2012 in Isfahan, Iran

MV+pH5

MV+pH7

MV+pH9

MV+DTPA

MV+1/3DTPA

241/5 abc

208/1 bc

277/4 ab

163/4 c

201/4 bc

176/9 ab

177/8 ab

189/1 ab

147/0 b

174/3 ab

29/63 ab

26/53 ab

26/89 ab

28/95 ab

31/09 a

69/00 a-d

57/11 ab

72/72 ab

44/68 cd

55/05 a-d

51/17 ab

49/15 ab

50/30 ab

39/76 b

47/95 ab

8/592 a

7/385 ab

7/116 ab

8/682 a

8/488 a

IV+pH5

IV+pH7

IV+pH9

IV+DTPA

IV+1/3DTPA

229/7 abc

248/8 abc

237/0 abc

325/0 a

209/1 bc

179/9 ab

185/6 ab

171/1 ab

158/8 ab

174/5 ab

28/24 ab

30/97 a

23/44 b

28/74 ab

29/79 ab

59/86 a-d

65/93 a-d

65/68 abc

81/55 a

61/34 a-d

46/63 ab

48/66 ab

47/53 ab

39/95 b

49/33 ab

7/231 ab

8/144 ab

7/280 ab

8/609 a

8/459 a

CW+pH5

CW+pH7

CW+pH9

CW+DTPA

CW+1/3DTPA

236/0 abc

244/6 abc

245/2 abc

222/5 abc

162/8 c

167/5 ab

190/6 ab

216/4 a

184/0 ab

188/5 ab

29/40 ab

28/33 ab

31/26 a

28/97 ab

27/53 ab

65/30 abc

65/62 a-d

65/63 a-d

58/94 a-d

43/22 d

45/80 ab

51/31 ab

58/42 a

48/15 ab

51/03 ab

7/992 ab

7/555 ab

8/565 a

7/687 ab

7/589 ab

Negative control

Positive control 193/2 bc

183/0 bc

164/2 ab

195/4 ab

30/37 ab

33/01 a

53/41 bcd

47/53 bcd

46/75 ab

51/60 ab

6/601 b

7/906 ab Means sharing the same letter in a column do not difference statistically according uncans test.

CONCLUSION

It’s concluded that although the experimental pots received 2/3 of their essential fertilizers

without any micronutrient, vermiwash is capable to supply micronutrient and phosphorus

for plant growth. Elements concentration in the treatments is equal to positive control

pots.

REFERENCE

1. Al-Mughrabi K.I. 2007. Suppression of Phytophthora infestans in Potatoes by

Foliar Application of Food Nutrients and Compost Tea. Australian Journal of

Basic and Applied Sciences, 1(4): 785-792.

2. EdwardS C. A., N. Q. Arancon., and G. Scott. 2006. Effects of Vermicompost

Teas on Plant Growth and Disease. Biocycle. MAY 2006.

3. Knewtson. S.J. 2008. Studies in Vegetable and High Tunel Production on The

Central Great Planins. Doctor's thesis. Kansas State University.

4. Ryan, J., G. Estefan and A. Rashid, 2001. Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory

Manual. ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria.

5. Subasashri M. 2004. Vermiwash an effective biopesticide. The Hindu Newspaper,

30th September, In: Science and Technology section.

6. Todkari, A. A. and S. C. Talashilkar, 2001. Effect of vermiwash prepared by two

methods on growth characteristics, yield and nutrition of three flowering plants.

Souvenir and abstracts. A paper presented in Silver Jubilee celebrations of the

Indian Society of Soil Biology and Ecology and VII National symposium on Soil

Biology and ecology held at U. A. S., Bangalore during Nov. 7-9: pp.97.