INFLUENCE OF DISTILLERY SPENTWASH ON NUTRIENT CONTENT AND UPTAKE OF GROUNDNUT CROP

P. Kalaiselvi* and S. Mahimairaja

Department of Environmental Sciences, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
Coimbatore (INDIA)

*E-mail : kalaiphd@gmail.com

Received on August 27, 2009 and accepted on December 09,2009

ABSTRACT

The effect of different levels and methods of spentwash application on nutrient content and uptake was examined through a field experiment. The field experiment was conducted using Groundnut (Arachis hypogeal L.) as a test crop at Research and Development Cane Farm, The Salem Co-operative Sugar Mills Ltd., Mohanur, Namakkal District (India). The different levels of spentwash was applied to the field in one time and continuous split doses of application. The application of spentwash has brought out significant increases in the content and uptake of nutrients (N, P, K and Ca) by groundnut. Crop that received the spentwash at the rate of 120 m³ ha^-1+ NP fertilizers were found to have higher contents and uptake of nutrients. The results have demonstrated that the nutrients dynamics in soil as effected by the spentwash application appeared to have played a major role on the growth and yield of groundnut. Crop uptake of nutrients (N, P, K) showed a strong positive correlation with groundnut (kernel) yield. Both the apparent N recovery (ANR) and N use efficiency (NUE) were greater when the spentwash was applied in split doses. The increase in the availability of N due to higher rate of mineralization favoured greater uptake by groundnut and resulted in higher NUE.

Keywords : Spentwash, Nutrient content, Nutrient uptake, Nutrient dynamics