Economizing Nitrogen Fertilizer in Wheat through Combinations

with Organic Manures in Kashmir, Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Integrating fertilizer N with organic manures is an important management strategy for sustainable agriculture production systems in subhumid, rainfed soils low in organic matter. A 2-yr (20072008, 20082009) field experiment with rainfed wheat
(Triticum aestivum L.) was conducted in the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Rawalakot), Pakistan to evaluate the effects of
combined use of farmyard manure (FYM), poultry manure (PM), and urea nitrogen (UN) on crop productivity, nitrogen use
efficiency (NUE) and soil properties. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included one full N as UN, six combined treatments of UN, FYM and PM in 75:25, 50:50 and 25:75 ratios
and a control, applied at equivalent rate of 120 kg N ha1. The results showed that UN with FYM and PM decreased soil bulk
density (411%), increased organic carbon (1022%), total N (925%), available P (1326%) and available K (1323%) compared
to the control. Combined application of UN, FYM and PM in 75:25 ratios produced comparable grain yields to UN treatment.
However, total N uptake in the combined treatments was higher (83 and 89 kg ha1 vs. 77 kg ha1, respectively). The NUE in
UN+FYM, UN+PM (75:25 and 50:50) was 44, 49, 41, and 44%, respectively compared with NUE of 39% in UN treatment.
Results of this study confirmed that UN+FYM and UN+PM in 75:25 ratios saved 25% (30 kg) of N fertilizer and represented a
successful and sustainable management strategy for wheat production in the mountainous ecosystems.

itrogen is one of the most important nutrients used

worldwide to increase and maintain crop production and
is considered a key element in maintaining the sustainability and
economic viability of farming systems across the world (Fixon
and West, 2002). Application of N through chemical fertilizers
is the dominant and main source of N input in the crop production systems worldwide. Unfortunately, applied N is not used
efficiently and the recovery of N in the soil-plant system seldom
exceeds 50% (Lpez-Bellido and Lpez-Bellido 2001; Guarda et
al., 2004; Abbasi et al., 2005, 2010). Raun and Johnson (1999)
reported that only 33% of the total N applied for cereal production
in the world is actually removed in the grain, much less than that
generally reported. Therefore, NUE of applied mineral N fertilizer
is a real concern to the researchers engaged in N cycling and N
transformations. Because in addition to the economical losses, the
N unaccounted for may escape into the atmosphere in the form
of gaseous emissions or may leach into the groundwater cause
groundwater pollution. In recent years, fertilizer cost and concern
for sustainable soil productivity and ecological stability in relation
to chemical fertilizers especially the N fertilizers have emerged as
important issues (Aulakh et al., 2000).

M. Kaleem Abbasi and Majid Mahmmod Tahir, Dep. of Soil and

Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Faculty of
Agriculture, Rawalakot Azad Jammu and Kashmir-Pakistan. Received 18
Aug. 2011. *Corresponding author (kaleemabbasi@yahoo.com).
Published in Agron. J. 104:169177 (2012)
Posted online 12 Dec 2011
doi:10.2134/agronj2011.0264
Copyright 2012 by the American Society of Agronomy, 5585 Guilford
Road, Madison, WI 53711. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

There is a renewed interest in organic manures, such as FYMs,

composts, and poultry manure, as sources of plant nutrients.
Numerous studies have been conducted both under laboratory and
field conditions to access the N release capacity and N fertilizer
value of these manures (Aulakh et al., 2000; Abbasi et al., 2007;
Ahmad et al., 2008; Gopinath et al., 2008; Azeez and Van Averbeke, 2010). Concerted efforts have been tried to use these organic
sources to provide the same amount of food with less fossil fuelbased inorganic fertilizers. It is possible because increased recycling
of organic manures and other organic substrates is likely to release
a substantial amount of N into the mineral N pool, reducing fertilization costs, and providing an amount of available N that allows
maintenance of crop yields (Shah et al., 2009; Panwar et al., 2010;
Ribeiro et al., 2010).
The positive effects of FYM/poultry manure and other organic
substrates applied alone or in combination with inorganic fertilizers on productivity of wheat has been reported by many workers
(NDayegamiye and Tran, 2001; Kundu et al., 2007; Ahmad et al.,
2008; Yadvinder-Singh et al., 2009; Shah et al., 2009). However,
Gopinath et al. (2008) indicated that the grain yield of wheat in all
the treatments involving organic amendments, that is, composted
FYM, vermicompost, and lantana compost was markedly lower
(3665% and 2354% in the 2 yr) than with the mineral fertilizer
treatment. However, application of these organic amendments
improved soil properties in terms of lower bulk density; increased
pH, oxidizable organic C, total N, available P and K in the soil;
and increased the P, K, and protein contents of seed compared
with mineral N.
Abbreviations: BD, bulk density; FYM, farmyard manure; NAE, agronomic
efficiency of applied nitrogen; NPE, physiological efficiency of applied nitrogen;
NUE, nitrogen use efficiency; PM, poultry manure; SOC, soil organic carbon;
UN, urea nitrogen.

A g ro n o my J o u r n a l Vo l u m e 10 4 , I s s u e 1 2 012

169

Organic Agriculture & Agroecology

M. Kaleem Abbasi* and Majid Mahmmod Tahir

In Iran, Barzegar et al. (2002) conducted a field experiment

to investigate the effects of 0, 5, 10, and 15 Mg ha1 of wheat
straw, composted sugarcane bagasse residue, and FYM on soil
physical properties and yield of winter wheat. Results of their
studies indicated that composted bagasse, FYM, and wheat straw

decreased soil bulk density and increased aggregate stability and

infiltration rate. The effectiveness of composted bagasse, FYM,
and wheat straw improved wheat grain yield by 22, 14, and 3%,
and wheat straw yield by 26, 17, and 4%, respectively, compared to
the control.

Fig. 1. Monthly rainfall (mm) and minimum and maximum temperature (C) of the experimental area during the growing period of wheat.

170

Agronomy Journal Volume 104, Issue 1 2012

Similarly, Bhattacharyya et al. (2010) conducted a field experiment at an Indian Himalayan upper valley and reported that the
wheat yield under NPK+FYM was 27% higher than NPK and
the residual effect of NPK+FYM to the succeeding soybean crop
increased soybean yield by 14% compared to NPK alone. Soils
under NPK + FYM contained higher soil organic C, total soil N,
total P and Olsen-P by 10, 42, 52, and 71%, respectively, compared
with NPK only. Yadvinder-Singh et al. (2009) reported that combining PM with half mineral N (60 kg ha1) increased wheat yield
and nutrient uptake comparable to mineral N applied at the rate of
120 kg ha1. The PM application increased soil organic C by 17%,
available P by 73%, and extractable K by 24%.
Several studies had already been conducted to assess the effects
of integrated use of both N sources (organic and mineral) on wheat
productivity. However, in the hilly and mountainous regions like
the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir very few studies have been
reported. Therefore, we hypothesized that application of poultry
and FYM under these conditions (eroded soil with rainfed agriculture) will improve the soil conditions (physical, chemical, and
biological properties) and thereby increase nutrient release, nutrient uptake, and ultimately crop yield. Consequently, the objectives
of this study were, to assess the effects of FYM and poultry manure
applied alone or in combinations with UN on changes in soil
properties, productivity, and NUE of wheat grown under rainfed
conditions at Rawalakot Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Site
The experiment was conducted at Rawalakot Azad Jammu
and Kashmir (AJK), Faculty of Agriculture Experiment Station
in 20072008 and 20082009. The study area lies between
the altitude of 1800 to 2000 m above sea level and latitude 33
to 36 in the northeast of Pakistan under the foothills of the
great Himalayas at Rawalakot district, Poonch division, AJK,
Pakistan. The detailed information about the study area is given
previously (Abbasi et al., 2008). The monthly precipitation and
temperature of the experimental area during the growing season
are presented in Fig. 1.
Experimental Procedures and Details
Before the onset of the experiment, soil samples were collected
and analyzed for physical and chemical properties. The background soil sample had pH 7.4, ECe 0.58 dS m1, organic C 8.7 g
kg1, total N 0.49 g kg1, available P 6.4 mg kg1 and exchangeable
K 101 mg kg1. The soil in the study site was clay loam in texture,
Humic Lithic Eutrudepts (Inceptosols). For proper seed bed
preparation, the site was plowed and left as such for next 2 wk. The
individual plots were prepared according to the treatments and the
plot size was 3-m long and 2-m wide.
The treatments were comprised of all combinations of three
sources of N, that is, mineral N as UN, FYM, PM, a control (no
N). Altogether a total of eight treatments were used. Nitrogen
from different treatments was applied at the rate of 120 kg N
ha1 generally recommended as optimum N rate for wheat under
environmental conditions of the region. The N rates from FYM
and PM were calculated on the basis of total N content in both
the manures, that is, 1.36% and 2.53%, respectively (Table 1). The
treatments were: control (no N); N100 = Recommended N fertilizer (120 kg N ha1) as urea N (UN); N75+FYM25 = 75% of N

from UN + 25% of N from FYM; N75+PM25 = 75% of N from

UN + 25% of N from PM; N50+FYM50 = 50% of N from UN +
50% of N from FYM; N50+PM50 = 50% N from UN + 50% of N
from PM; N25+FYM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from
FYM; N25+PM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from PM.
The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block
design with three replications.
Well-composted FYM and PM were collected from the local
farmers. The chemical composition of both FYM and PM is given
in Table 1. All N from both manures and UN was broadcasted at
the time of sowing. Phosphorus and K were incorporated into the
soil approximately 5-cm deep in all plots including the control at
the time of sowing. Rates were 90 kg P2O5 ha1 and 60 kg K2O
ha1 as single superphosphate (SSP) and sulfate of potash (SOP),
respectively. The wheat cultivar, Inqalab-91, was sown in rows at
45-cm spacing on 26 and 15 Nov. 2007 and 2008, respectively.
After germination the plant to plant distance was thinned to 6 cm.
All standard local cultural practices were followed when required
throughout the growth period. No irrigation was provided, and
manual weeding was performed on three occasions.
Measurements
Five plants were randomly taken from central rows of each
plot at anthesis, shoot and root lengths were recorded. Plants
were carefully uprooted with the help of a spade by digging a soil
core around the plant. The plants were then placed into plastic
buckets full of water to loosen the adhering soil. After 15 to 20
min the adhering soil was carefully removed. Thereafter, plants
were separated into roots and shoots by cutting from the base of
the plant. The roots were brought to the laboratory for further
washings under running water. Shoot length was measured from
the base of the plant to the tip of the ear with the use of a meter
rod. After measuring shoot and root lengths, plant samples were
oven-dried at 70C for about 48 h and shoot and root dry-weight
was recorded.
In early June in 2008 and 2009, wheat was harvested manually, tied into bundles, and then left in respective plots for drying
for about a week. Grain yield was obtained after threshing by
manual labor while straw yield was calculated from the difference
in weights of the wheat bundles and grain yield. Thousand-grain
weight was determined from 200 grain samples randomly taken
from the grains produced in each plot and then multiplied by
5. Air-drying of grains was done to moisture content of 12% as
described earlier by Agbede and Ojeniyi (2009).
Table 1. The selected nutrient composition of farm yard manure (FYM) and poultry manure (PM) used in the experiment.
Nutrient elements
C, g kg1
N, g kg1
C/N
P, g kg1
K, g kg1
Ca, g kg1
Mg, g kg1
Fe, mg kg1
Zn, mg kg1
Mn, mg kg1
Cu, mg kg1

FYM
247 32.2
13.6 1.3
18.2 1.8
4.4 0.37
11.7 1.2
7.8 1.1
3.1 0.25
816 32.7
131 14.2
269 22.4
40 3.6

PM
384 45.1
25.3 3.3
15.2 1.2
9.8 0.96
17.6 1.6
14.1 1.6
4.4 0.21
965 44.7
115 13.9
234 22.0
45 3.9

Mean standard deviation calculated with three replications.

Agronomy Journal Volume 104, Issue 1 2012

171

Soil and Plant Analysis

Samples were collected after harvesting to determine the effect
of treatments on N content of aboveground plant parts. We also
collected postharvest soil samples from the surface layer (015 cm)
after the harvest of the second year wheat. From each plot a composite sample from three cores was collected and air dried for 2 to
3 d. Samples were ground and sieved to pass through a 2 mm mesh,
rocks and large organic residue were removed. The bulk density
(BD) of soil was determined up to a depth of 15 cm in triplicate (by
taking subsample) from each plot by a core sampler (15 cm height
and 5 cm diam.) (Blake and Hartge, 1986). Soil organic carbon
(SOC) was determined by oxidizing organic matter in soil samples
with K2Cr2O7 in concentrated sulfuric acid for 30 min followed
by titration of the excess of K2Cr2O7 with ferrous-ammonium
sulfate (Nelson and Sommers, 1982). Total N in soil was determined by sulfuric acid digestion using Se, CuSO4, and K2SO4
as catalysts. Total N was determined by the Kjeldahl method of
Bremner and Mulvaney (1982), available P by the Olsen extraction
method (Olsen and Sommers, 1982) and K in solution determined
by flame photometer (Simard, 1993). Soil pH was determined by
a glass electrode on 1:2.5 (v/v) soil/water suspension after a 1 h
equilibration period with occasional stirring. The suspension was
stirred immediately before measuring pH.
For analysis of the N content in grain and straw, oven-dried
plant material (grain and straw) from each plot were ground
separately with a grinder (Polymix PX-MFC 90D; Switzerland) to
pass through a 2 mm-mesh sieve. The N contents in samples were
determined by the Kjeldahl method (Jackson, 1962). The uptake
of N was computed as:
N uptake by grain (kg ha1) = [N content in
grain (%) grain yield (kg ha1)]/100
N uptake by straw (kg ha1) = [N content in
straw (%) straw yield (kg ha1)]/100
Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Its Components
The N contents and N-uptake both in grain and straw of wheat
were used for calculating the different N efficiency parameters
(Sangakkara et al., 2008; Nyiraneza and Snapp, 2007).
Agronomic efficiency of applied nitrogen (NAE, kg
grain per kg N applied) = [Grain yield (kg ha1) in N
added plots grain yield of control plots]/total N applied
Physiological efficiency of applied nitrogen (NPE, kg
grain kg N uptake1) = [(Grain yield (kg ha1) in N
added Grain yield of control plots)/(total N uptake by
the fertilizer treatment total N uptake in the control)]
Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE, %) = [(N uptake by the fertilized treatment N uptake
in the control)/total N applied] 100.
172

Statistical Analysis
Analysis of variance and LSD tests among means were conducted for each character separately using a MSTAT-C statistical
analysis package. Comparison of means for the individual treatments was done at the 5% probability level based on the F test
of the analysis of variance (Steel and Torri, 1980). Correlations
between some of the study parameters, that is, growth characteristics vs. yield traits; N-uptake vs. yield and NUE were also
calculated. SPSS 12 for Windows (www. SPSS.com) was used
for this purpose. Significance levels were computed following
Muhammad (1995).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Growth Characteristics
Application of UN alone or in combination with FYM or PM
increased most of the growth characteristics of wheat compared
with the control (Table 2). The relative increase in shoot length,
shoot dry weight, root length, and root dry weight due to N fertilization (during 20072008 and 20082009) averaged was 29 and
61%, 117 and 117%, 62 and 80%, and 73 and 93%, respectively,
over the control, demonstrating the importance of N fertilization for wheat growth in plant available N-deficient soil. Among
different N treatments, responses were not different in most of the
cases, showing that integrated use of UN + FYM and UN + PM
in 75:25 and 50:50 ratio showed comparable growth to the UN
treatment. In a previous study under similar environmental conditions, Ahmad et al. (2008) reported that growth characteristics of
wheat supplemented with N-enriched compost either with N30 or
N60 were similar to those recorded in the treatment that received
mineral N alone (120 kg N ha1). Shah et al. (2009) explained
that the relevant increase in wheat growth due to combined
treatments is largely due to the immediate supply of N required at
early growth stages by mineral N sources while organic manures
facilitated crop growth with supply of N in the later stages due to
slow mineralization. Growth characteristics in 20082009 were
higher than those recorded in 20072008. The relative increase
in shoot length, shoot dry weight, and root length was 26, 12, and
8% (during 20082009 over 20072008) while root dry weight
did not show any difference. An overall 26% increase in rainfall in
20082009 may have caused increase in the growth characteristics
during this year (Fig. 1).
Yield and Yield Attributes
Application of UN alone or UN + FYM and UN + PM
increased 1000-grain weight (Table 3) by 35 and 41% during
20072008 and 20082009, respectively over the control. Among
different N treatments no significant difference in 1000-grain
weight was observed in 20072008 while a significant difference
was recorded in 20082009. All fertilizer treatments increased
straw yield in both years compared with the control (Table 3).
Among different N treatments, UN (100:0), UN + PM and UN
+ FYM (75:25 ratios) showed comparable yield while the yield
decreased by 13 and 25% in 50:50 and 25:75 ratios compared with
the 75:25 ratio, respectively. The lower straw yield in combined
treatments of 50:50 and 25:75 ratios compared with the 75:25
ratio indicated that yield decreased as the concentration/proportion of mineral N in combined treatments decreased. Our results
were in accordance with previous studies on wheat straw (Ahmad
Agronomy Journal Volume 104, Issue 1 2012

Table 2. Effect of integrated use of organic and inorganic N fertilizer on the growth attributes of wheat grown at Rawalakot Azad
Jammu and Kashmir in 20072008 and 20082009.
Shoot dry
Root dry
Shoot dry
Root dry
Shoot length
weight
Root length
weight
Shoot length
weight
Root length
weight
Treatments
20072008
20082009
cm
g
cm
g
cm
g
cm
g
Control
44.2d
5.6c
7.5c
1.95c
45.4e
6.3c
8.9b
1.7c
N100
61.8a
13.8a
13.9ab
4.5a
82.3a
15.9a
15.3a
4.1a
N75+FYM25
60.2ab
13.0ab
14.2ab
4.1ab
75.2b
14.1ab
14.8a
3.3ab
N75+PM25
60.4ab
12.7ab
12.6b
3.5ab
71.6bc
14.8ab
14.4a
3.8ab
N50+FYM50
57.6abc
12.4ab
14.9a
3.0bc
75.4b
13.7ab
15.2a
2.8bc
N50+PM50
54.6bc
12.7ab
12.5b
3.2b
72.1bc
13.2ab
13.7a
3.1ab
N25+FYM75
51.3c
10.1b
13.8ab
2.6bc
66.6d
11.5b
14.0a
2.6bc
N25+PM75
53.9bc
10.5ab
12.7b
2.7bc
69.3cd
12.4ab
13.6a
3.3ab
LSD (P 0.05)
6.3
3.4
2.1
1.1
5.6
3.7
2.4
1.3
Control; N100 = Recommended N fertilizer (120 kg N ha 1) as urea nitrogen (UN); N75+FYM25 = 75% of N from UN + 25% of N from farmyard manure (FYM);
N75+PM25 = 75% of N from UN + 25% of N from poultry manure (PM); N50+FYM50 = 50% of N from UN + 50% of N from FYM; N 50+PM50 = 50% N from UN + 50% of
N from PM; N25+FYM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from FYM; N25+PM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from PM.

et al., 2008) where application of N-enriched compost with N60

yielded similarly to that recorded for mineral N (N120).
Application of N in different treatments increased grain yield
by 56 and 74% (in 2 yr) over the control. Highest grain yields,
which were recorded in UN+PM and UN+FYM (75:25) and UN
(100:0) ranged between 2818 and 2900 kg ha1 in 20072008
and 2912 to 3116 kg ha1 in 20082009 (Table 3). The data
indicated that application of 25% N either from PM or FYM with
75% UN resulted in wheat yields equivalent to yields obtained
from 100% UN. This finding confirmed that with the application of UN+FYM and UN+PM in 75:25 ratios, there was an
overall 25% (30 kg N on the basis of total N applied) saving of
N fertilizer. Ahmad et al. (2008) also reported N saving with the
combined application of organic and mineral N and reported that
with the application of organic fertilizer/enriched compost with
mineral N, there was an overall 25% (30 kg) saving of N in wheat.
Similarly, application of green manures with fertilizer N in a sandy
loam soil of Punjab, India resulted in greater wheat yield and the
reported results indicated that fertilizer N applied to wheat could
be reduced by 25% (Aulakh et al., 2000).
The yield data obtained in our study clearly demonstrated the
superiority of the integrated use of UN with FYM/PM, which
provided greater stability in wheat production in comparison to
UN alone. The additional benefit of fertilizing wheat with organic

manures is consistent with other findings where combined application of organic N sources with half of the recommended mineral
N or 75% of mineral N increased the growth; yield; and N, P, and
K contents of wheat compared with a single application (at the full
recommended rate) of these sources (Kundu et al., 2007; Ahmad
et al., 2008). The higher response of wheat to the combined treatments (75:25) were possibly caused by the better supply pattern of
N, P, and K and improved soil physical conditions in the PM- and
FYM-amended soils by adding organic manures with mineral N
(Yadvinder-Singh et al., 2004; Kundu et al., 2007). Bhattacharyya et al. (2008) reported that soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]
and residual wheat yields in soil under the unfertilized and the
inorganic fertilizer treatments decreased with time, whereas yield
increased under N+FYM and NPK +FYM treatments for both
crops. The authors explained that improved soil physical properties
due to FYM application had contributed to yield increase.
In addition, results of our study showed that grain yield in our
conditions depended on the growth characteristics and N uptake
of wheat. There were significant correlations of shoot length, shoot
dry weight, and root length with grain yield. Similarly, N uptake
also showed a significant correlation (in 20072008 and 2008
2009) with grain yield (r = 0.96, r = 0.99, respectively) (Table 4).
Response of wheat grain yield to different N treatments
was higher in the second year of the study compared with the
first year (213%). This increasing
response might be due to a 26%
Table 3. Effect of integrated use of organic and inorganic N fertilizer on the yield and yield atincrease in overall rainfall during
tributes of wheat grown at Rawalakot Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 20072008 and 20082009.
the second year, or due to residual
1000-Grain
Straw
Grain
1000-Grain Straw matter
Grain
weight
yield
yield
weight
yield
yield
effects of applied manures to the
Treatments
20072008
20082009
subsequent crop, considered as
g
kg ha1
g
kg ha1
stored pool of fertilizer N, which
Control
32.3b
2946d
1636d
30.7c
2897d
1586d
can limit losses. It was reported
N100
41.4a
5179a
2849a
44.7a
5447a
2912ab
that approximately 5 to 6% of the
N75+FYM25
43.7a
5054a
2818a
46.3a
5317a
3051ab
total N applied in the form of sheep
N75+PM25
44.3a
5100a
2900a
44.0a
5443a
3116a
(Ovis aries) manure is available in
N50+FYM50
44.0a
4263b
2492b
43.0ab
4616b
2802c
residual form to the succeeding
N50+PM50
42.1a
4341b
2544b
40.7b
4723b
2867bc
crop (Srensen et al., 1994). In
N25+FYM75
44.7a
3643c
2098c
41.3b
4018c
2265d
another experiment carried-out in
N25+PM75
45.3a
3762c
2188c
43.0ab
4096c
2335d
LSD (P 0.05)
3.93
374
214
3.31
314
211
rice (Oryza sativa L.)wheat crop Control; N100 = Recommended N fertilizer (120 kg N ha 1) as urea nitrogen (UN); N75+FYM25 = 75% of N from
ping system, it was found that the
UN + 25% of N from farmyard manure (FYM); N75+PM25 = 75% of N from UN + 25% of N from poultry manure
percentage of applied fertilizer N
(PM); N 50+FYM50 = 50% of N from UN + 50% of N from FYM; N 50+PM50 = 50% N from UN + 50% of N from PM;
N25+FYM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from FYM; N25+PM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from PM.
remaining in the soil after harvest
Agronomy Journal Volume 104, Issue 1 2012

173

Plant Nitrogen Content and Nitrogen Uptake

* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level.

** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level.
NUE, nitrogen use efficiency; NPE, physiological efficiency of applied nitrogen.

Table 4. Correlation between growth and yield characteristics of wheat in response to the integrated use of organic and inorganic N to wheat grown at Rawalakot Azad Jammu and
Kashmir in 20072008 and 20082009.
Shoot length
Shoot dry weight
Straw yield
Grain yield
NUE
NPE
Organic
Parameter 20072008 20082009 20072008 20082009 20072008 20082009 20072008 20082009
20072008 20082009
20072008
20082009
C
cm
g
kg ha1
%
kg kg1
g kg1
Shoot length,
cm

0.96**
0.89**
0.97**
0.88**

Shoot dry
weight, g

0.91**
0.95**
0.94**
0.93**

Root length,
cm

0.64
0.85*
0.69*
0.86**

N uptake
0.91**
0.86**
0.95**
0.91**
0.91**
0.93**
0.96**
0.99**
0.99**
0.99**

Straw yield

0.84*
0.83*
0.85*
0.65

Bulk density

0.98**

174

of winter wheat accounted for 14% of the inorganic N and 39%

of the organic N applied to soil (Wu et al., 2010).
Total N content and N uptake by wheat (straw + grain) in the
control was almost the same for the 2 yr, suggesting that the N
supply from the soil was stable over this period. Application of N
from UN, UN+FYM, and UN + PM increased N contents in
wheat, thereby increasing N uptake (Table 5). Increased N uptake
with N fertilization could be attributed to increased dry matter
production because a significant correlation (r = 0.91 and r = 0.93)
existed between N-uptake and straw yield both in 20072008 and
20082009, respectively (Table 5). Application of UN with FYM
and PM in 75:25 ratios resulted in higher N uptake in both years
(i.e., 77 and 83 kg ha1 in 20072008 and 89 and 94 kg ha1 in
20082009, respectively, compared with N uptake of 73 and 80
kg ha1 in the UN treatment). Integrated use of organic and inorganic N sources has been shown to result in synergy and improved
synchronization of nutrient release and uptake by crops (Mugwe
et al., 2009). Combined application of FYM, PM, and filter cake
with mineral N in 25:75 ratios in northwest, Pakistan showed
equal N uptake in wheat to that recorded for full mineral N (Shah
et al., 2009). In another experiment, the N-enriched compost in
the presence of 50% N fertilizer caused significant increases in N,
P, and K contents in wheat (i.e., 192.7, 220.5, and 188.3%, over
the control, respectively) and showed a nonsignificant difference
with full N fertilizer (Ahmad et al., 2008). Similarly, Aulakh et al.
(2000) reported that application of green manure with mineral N
(90 kg N ha1) contributed equal N uptake in wheat (107 kg ha1)
to that recorded for mineral N (105 kg ha1) applied at the rate of
120 kg N ha1.The higher uptake of nutrients with application of
organic manures alone or integrated use of organic and inorganic N sources had been reported previously in different crops
including cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (Khaliq et al., 2006),
maize (Zea mays L.) (Dordas et al., 2008; Abbasi et al., 2010), rice
(Satyanarayana et al., 2002), and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.)
Moench] (Bayu et al., 2006). However, these results were in contrast to the findings of Tewolde et al. (2010) who reported higher
leaf and stem N concentrations in NH4NO3N treated cotton
compared to cotton treated with poultry litter. The difference was
due to the sole application of poultry litter compared to integrated
use of organic manures with UN in our study.
Nitrogen Use Efficiency
The agronomic efficiency and physiological efficiency of applied
N (NAE and NPE) was affected by different N treatments and
lower in the treatments receiving UN+FYM and UN+PM in
25:75 ratios (Table 6). The NAE recorded for the treatments UN
+ FYM and UN + PM (75:25) was comparable to UN (100:0)
in 20072008 but in 20082009, UN +PM in a 75:25 ratio
exhibited higher NAE compared with the UN treatment. On
the other hand, NPE was higher in the UN treatment and the
efficiency decreased as the proportion of mineral N in integrated
treatments decreased. Results in Table 4 indicated that NPE had
shown significant correlation with straw yield in 20072008 (r =
0.85) but no significant relationship was found in 20082009. A
significant relationship between straw yields and NPE in maize
and grasslands was observed in our previous studies (Abbasi et al.,
2005, 2010).
Agronomy Journal Volume 104, Issue 1 2012

Table 5. Effect of integrated use of organic and inorganic N fertilizer on the concentration and uptake of N in wheat grown at
Rawalakot Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 20072008 and 20082009.
N content
N uptake
N content
N uptake
Straw
Grain
Straw
Grain
Total
Straw
Grain
Straw
Grain
Total
Treatments
20072008
20082009
%
kg ha1
%
kg ha1
Control
0.32c
1.29d
9.4c
21.1d
31d
0.30d
1.26c
8.7d
20.0d
29e
N100
0.40bc
1.84c
20.7a
52.4b
73b
0.44c
1.92b
24.0b
55.9b
80c
N75+FYM25
0.41bc
1.98b
20.7a
55.8ab
77ab
0.47bc
2.10ab
25.0ab
64.1a
89ab
N75+PM25
0.44ab
2.09ab
22.4a
60.6a
83a
0.50abc
2.14a
27.2a
66.7a
94a
N50+FYM50
0.48ab
2.11ab
20.5a
52.6b
73b
0.52ab
2.12a
24.0b
59.4b
83c
N50+PM50
0.52a
2.14a
22.6a
54.4b
77b
0.54a
2.15a
25.5ab
61.6a
87b
N25+FYM75
0.40bc
1.82c
14.6b
38.2c
53c
0.42c
1.92b
16.9c
43.5c
60d
N25+PM75
0.41bc
1.86bc
15.4b
40.7c
56c
0.42c
1.91b
17.2c
45.4c
63d
LSD (P 0.05)
0.09
0.13
2.2
4.9
6.5
0.06
0.18
2.1
6.7
5.7
Control; N100 = Recommended N fertilizer (120 kg N ha 1) as urea nitrogen (UN); N75+FYM25 = 75% of N from UN + 25% of N from farmyard manure (FYM);
N75+PM25 = 75% of N from UN + 25% of N from poultry manure (PM); N50+FYM50 = 50% of N from UN + 50% of N from FYM; N 50+PM50 = 50% N from UN + 50% of
N from PM; N25+FYM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from FYM; N25+PM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from PM.

Nitrogen use efficiency in the UN treatment was 36 and 43%

during 20072008 and 20082009, respectively (Table 6). The
NUE increased to 39 and 44% in N50+PM50 and N75+PM25,
respectively in 20072008 and 50, 54, and 49% in N75+FYM25,
N75+PM25 and N50+PM50, respectively in 20082009. Improvement in the efficiency of UN when combined with manure is well
documented, and ascribed to the enhanced inherent nutrientsupplying capacity of the soil and improved soil physical properties
(Hati et al., 2006), which might have promoted better rooting,
higher nutrient and water uptake by crops, and transpiration
efficiency (Zhang et al., 1998). We found that NUE in our experiment was significantly correlated (in 20072008 and 20082009)
with N uptake (r = 0.99, r = 0.99, respectively) and straw yield (r =
0.84, r = 0.83, respectively). It is likely that N losses due to leaching
or denitrification might have been reduced in soil by mixing N-fertilizer with organic manures, resulting in a better utilization of N
by the plant (Ahmad et al., 2007, 2008). Previous studies have also
shown that organic materials enhance fertilizer use efficiency by
releasing nutrients slowly and thus reducing the losses, particularly
of N (Nevens and Reheul, 2003). In the treatments receiving 25%
N from urea and 75% either from FYM or PM, NUE was very
low, that is, 19 and 21%, respectively. Our results were in accordance with Limon-Ortega et al. (2008) who reported that the low
NUE under such conditions may be attributed to a slow rate of N
mineralization from manure-amended soils.
Our results indicated that (i) the NUE of applied mineral N in
our conditions was very low, that is, 36 and 43% only, (ii) recovery
efficiency of applied N was increased when UN was combined
either with FYM or PM in 75:25 and 50:50 ratios and the relative
increase in NUE ranged between 4 and 26% compared with UN
treatment.
Soil Properties
The BD under combined treatments of UN + FYM and
UN+PM was 2 to 9% lower than the UN treatment and 4 to
11% lower than the control after second year crop cycle (Table 7).
Reduction in soil BD due to the application of organic manures
had been previously reported by several workers (Hati et al., 2006;
Ewulo et al., 2008; Abbasi et al., 2010; Bandyopadhyay et al.,
2010). The decrease in the BD might be attributed to higher SOC
due to the addition of FYM and PM as both BD and SOC showed
significant correlation (r = 0.98)

Table 6. Effect of integrated use of organic and inorganic N on

the agronomic and N recovery efficiency of applied N in wheat
grown at Rawalakot Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 20072008
and 20082009.
NAE NPE
NUE
NAE
NPE
NUE
Treatments
20072008
20082009
kg kg1
%
kg kg1
%
Control

N100
10a
52a
36c
11bc
50a
43d
N75+FYM25
10a
46b
38bc
12ab
40b
50b
N75+PM25
11a
41c
44a
13a
39b
54a
N50+FYM50
7b
31d
35c
10c
31d
46cd
N50+PM50
8b
30d
39b
11bc
31d
49bc
N25+FYM75
4c
31d
19d
6d
35c
26e
N25+PM75
5c
32d
21d
7d
35c
28e
LSD (P 0.05) 1.62
4.69
2.40
1.32
3.37
3.13
Control; N100 = Recommended N fertilizer (120 kg N ha-1) as urea nitrogen
(UN); N75+FYM25 = 75% of N from UN + 25% of N from farmyard manure
(FYM); N75+PM25 = 75% of N from UN + 25% of N from poultry manure (PM);
N50+FYM50 = 50% of N from UN + 50% of N from FYM; N50+PM50 = 50% N
from UN + 50% of N from PM; N25+FYM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N
from FYM; N25+PM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from PM.
NAE, agronomic efficiency of applied nitrogen; NPE, physiological efficiency of
applied nitrogen; NUE, nitrogen use efficiency.

Table 7. Effect of integrated use of organic and inorganic N

on changes in physical and chemical properties of surface soil
(015 cm) after crop harvest (after 2 yr of crop growth).
Bulk
Organic Total Available Available
Treatments density pH
C
N
P
K
Mg m3
mg kg1
Control
1.14a
7.20b 7200e 410d
5.8d
96e
N100
1.12a
7.14bc 7600d 440cd
6.1d
101e
N75+FYM25
1.10a
7.15b 7900cd 470c
6.6c
109d
N75+PM25
1.10a
7.19b 8100c 490bc
6.8bc
111cd
N50+FYM50
1.08b
7.18b 8300bc 520b
7.2b
113cd
N50+PM50
1.07bc 7.28ab 8600b 520b
7.4b
116bc
N25+FYM75
1.04bc 7.31a 8900ab 550ab
7.6a
121ab
N25+PM75
1.02c
7.33a 9200a 560a
8.0a
126a
LSD (P 0.05) 0.04
0.11
380
30
0.41
6.01
Control; N100 = Recommended N fertilizer (120 kg N ha 1) as urea nitrogen
(UN); N75+FYM25 = 75% of N from UN + 25% of N from farmyard manure
(FYM); N75+PM25 = 75% of N from UN + 25% of N from poultry manure (PM);
N50+FYM50 = 50% of N from UN + 50% of N from FYM; N50+PM50 = 50% N
from UN + 50% of N from PM; N25+FYM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N
from FYM; N25+PM75 = 25% of N from UN + 75% of N from PM.

Agronomy Journal Volume 104, Issue 1 2012

175

The pH of the soil remained statistically unchanged in most of

the treatments. However, a significant increase in pH was observed
in the combined treatments those received higher proportion of
N from FYM and PM, that is, N25+FYM75 and N25+PM75. The
higher pH in organic manures than the control and the UNamended soils is due to the release of OH ions during decomposition of manure and the buffering from organic compounds
released from manure (Zingore et al., 2008; Azeez et al., 2010).
The SOC, total N, and available P and K were increased in the
combined treatments of UN+FYM and UN+PM compared with
the UN treatment and the control. The increase in SOC under
combined treatments of UN + FYM and UN+PM was averaged
5 to 18% higher than UN and 10 to 22% higher than the control
while the corresponding values for total N were 9 to 25% and 2 to
20%; available P 13 to 26% and 9 to 22%, and available K 13 to
23% and 8 to 19%, respectively. The concentration of these major
nutrients in soil increased with an increase rate of N from organic
manures. Bhattacharyya et al. (2008) studied the combined
application of mineral and organic fertilizers in a rainfed soybeanwheat system of the Indian Himalayas and reported that
combined use of NPK and FYM increased SOC, total N, available
P and K by 47, 31, 13, and 73%, respectively, compared to the
application of NPK through mineral fertilizers. Yadvinder-Singh
et al. (2009) reported that after three annual ricewheat cropping
cycles, application of PMs increased mean SOC by 17%, available
P by 73%, and extractable K by 24%. Similarly, the increase in
SOC, total N, available P, and exchangeable K following the addition of organic manures had also been reported in different soils
(Kundu et al., 2007; Agbede and Ojeniyi, 2009; Limon-Ortega et
al., 2009; Abbasi et al., 2010).
The higher accumulation of SOC, total N, and available P
observed in combined treatments is attributed to more C going
to soil via organic manure addition (Panwar et al., 2010) or is
likely due to the reduced mineralization and availability of the N
from manure as compared to urea (Limon-Ortega et al., 2009).
Available P in manure-amended soil may also be higher due to the
release or organic acids during decomposition which helped in the
solubility of native phosphates (Panwar et al., 2010). The beneficial
effect of organic manures on available K is because, besides acting
as a source of K, it also releases organic colloids with greater cation
exchange sites that attract K from the nonexchangeable pool and
applied K, which ultimately favored the release of available K
(Majumdar et al., 2005).
CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that integrated use of UN with FYM
and PM in a 75:25 ratio resulted in wheat yield equivalent to the
treatment that received 100% UN alone, and increased the uptake
of N and NUE. Increased NUE (especially in 20082009) in
integrated treatments compared with UN alone indicates that the
organic amendments improved nutrient use efficiency from inorganic fertilizer. It was found that in most of the cases, efficiency
of PM was better than the FYM. For higher grain yield, better N
uptake, crop quality, and increased NUE, mineral fertilizer must
be applied with organic manures and their ratios should be 75:25
or 50:50 for soil and growing conditions of study area. Application
of UN (100:0) stimulated the vegetative growth as compared to
organic manures but for reproductive and N recovery phase, integrated use of UN with organic manures especially with PM was
176

most effective and recommended for optimum wheat production.

The yield data also confirmed that integrated use of organic and
inorganic nutrient sources of N in a 75:25 ratio is advantageous
over the use of mineral fertilizer alone and there was an overall
25% (30 kg) saving of N fertilizer.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The work reported in this manuscript was funded by the Higher
Education Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan.
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