Effects of Red Mud Addition in Soil Fertilized with Cowdung Manure on Growth Performance and Metal Accumulations in Brassica juncea Cultivars Kranti and Pusa Bold

ABSTRACT

Red mud (RM) with organic manure may offer suitable substratum to support plant growth. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of 0, 5, 10 and 15% (w/w) RM additions in soil fertilized with cowdung manure (soil: manure: 2:1 w/w) on available metal contents, growth performance and metal accumulation in Brassica juncea cultivars Kranti and Pusa Bold. Increasing RM concentrations in manure-amended soil caused a significant increase in total metal contents but their phytoavailable contents decreased. A significant increase in plant growth performance and seed yield was observed up to 10% RM treatment compared to the control (without RM and manure). Maximum increase in seed yield (140.5%) of Pusa Bold and Kranti (120.3%) was found under 10% RM treatment. Metal contents in seeds were within the FAO/WHO safe limits. The study suggests utilization of 10% (w/w) RM in soil fertilized with cowdung manure for cultivation of Kranti and Pusa Bold. Based on plant performance, the study encourages the cultivation of Pusa Bold.

KEYWORDS:

• Brassica juncea
• cowdung manure
• metals
• red mud
• seed yield

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Head, Department of Botany, the Coordinator, DST-FIST and CAS in Botany, Interdisciplinary School of Life Sciences, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (B.H.U.) and HINDALCO Industries Ltd., Renukoot, U.P. for providing all the necessary facilities during the research work and Indian Meteorological Department, Geophysics for furnishing meteorological data of my experimental period. The authors also thank the head, Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Science and to the In-charge, Dairy farm, B.H.U. for providing mustard seeds and cowdung manure, respectively. A word of thanks also goes to the anonymous reviewer and the editor for their suggestions which helped us in improving the quality of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India [grant number 09/013(0469)/2012-EMR-I to MG].