Effect of adding chemical and organic fertilizers and spraying seaweed extracts on NPKS concentrations and cauliflower yield

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out in the agricultural season 2021-2022 in one of the agricultural fields in the Muqdadiya, Al-Harouniya district, located 40 km northeast of the Baquba district of Diyala governorate. The agrarian soil was classified as silty clay (Soil Survey Staff, 2006). It is located at a longitude of 53° 34’ N and latitude of 56° 04° 45° S. The experiment aimed to study the effect of adding chemical and organic fertilizers and spraying seaweed extracts on NPKS concentrations and cauliflower yield. The investigation included three factors: adding organic fertilizer (buffalo waste) at three levels (0, 5 and 10)% of the terrace’s size, symbolized by M1, M2 and 3M, respectively. It was added at a depth of 0-30 cm a month before planting the seedlings in the field. The second factor was the addition of NPK compound chemical fertilizer (20:20:20) at two levels (0 and the full fertilizer recommendation is 300 kg H-1 when planted as a feed) and symbolized by 1 C and 2 C, respectively. The third factor is spraying seaweed extract with three levels (0, 2 and 4) ml L-1 illustrated by A1, A2 and according to an RCBD randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment results showed that adding organic fertilizer (10% of the size of the terrace) led to a significant increase in the head’s weight, reaching 1.611 kg. The results of the experiment showed that the addition of organic fertilizer (10% of the size of the terrace) led to a significant increase in the weight of the head, as it reached 1.611 kg plant-1, the sulfur concentration in the fruits was 2.00 mg sulfur kg-1, the nitrogen concentration in the leaves was 4.68%. The phosphorous concentration in the leaves was 25%, and the potassium concentration in the leaves was 2.05%; chemical fertilization also increased head weight from 1.385 kg. Plant-1 to 1,108 kg Plant-1.There was an increase in each of the sulfur concentrations in fruits from 2.00% to 1.53%, in the nitrogen concentration in the leaves from 4.60% to 3.48% and an increase in the phosphorous concentration in the leaves from 0.37% to 0.26% and an increase in the potassium concentration in the leaves from 2.78% to 2.27 %, spraying seaweed extracts at a concentration of 4 mmol. L-1 led to a significant increase in head weight, which reached 1.282 kg. Plant-1, nitrogen concentration in leaves 803% and potassium concentration in leaves 2.58%.As for the triple interaction .Keywords: chemical fertilization, organic fertilization, seaweed extracts, cauliflower.