Abstract
Effects of household waste, chicken manure, and cow dung on nutrient-use and carbon (C)–sequestration efficiencies and improvement of soil fertility were assessed. Application of household waste at the rate of 4 kg m−2 and cow dung at the rate of 3 kg m−2 produced the maximum yields of rice and tomato, respectively. Nutrient uptake and use efficiency were enhanced with the application of wastes. Incorporation of wastes increased C content and decreased bulk density of soils. The maximum C sequestrations were 2.6 Mg ha−1 in soils under rice cultivation and 2.9 Mg ha−1 under tomato cultivation when household waste was applied at the rate of 4 kg m−2. The greater agronomic, physiological, and recovery efficiencies of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were attributed to the greater sequestration of C in soils. The residual value of pH, organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium indicated the fertility enhancement of soils with the application of wastes.
Acknowledgment
The study was supported by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Bangladesh, endowment fund administered by Research Management Committee (RMC).