Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Soil and Water Dept., Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt
2
Soil and Water Dept., Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh Univ., Egypt
3
Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
10.21608/ejss.2025.426326.2379
Abstract
During the two growing seasons of 2021–2022 and 2022–2023, an experiment (field) was carried out at the faculty of agriculture's farm at Kafrelsheikh Univ., Egypt. This study set out to investigate the application of N fertilizer and molasses to the soil, the effects of this combination on improving specific soil properties, the cost-effectiveness of nitrogen use, the optimization of wheat grain and straw yields and uptake, and the economic assessment of wheat yield. The major plots of the split-plot design were assigned to five distinct nitrogen treatments (N0: without, N40: 40kg fed.-1, N80: 80kg fed.-1, N120: 120kg fed.-1, and N160: 160Kg fed.-1) and four molasses treatments (M0: without molasses, M30:30L fed.-1, M60: 60L fed.-1, and M90:90L fed.-1).The findings showed that soil bulk density dropped considerably following two growing seasons when molasses application reached 90Lfed.-1. At the same time, soil porosity hit its peak levels during this treatment, moving in the opposite direction from bulk density. When molasses was applied at rates up to 90LFed.-1, there were notable improvements in soil NPK levels, NPK uptake by plants, protein content, how efficiently nitrogen was used, nitrogen recovery rates, and overall wheat production, with the M90 treatment showing the best results across the board. When nitrogen and molasses treatments were combined, they worked together to significantly boost flag leaf size, the number of spikes per square meter, thousand-grain weight, grain production, straw production, protein levels, and total NPK absorption by the plants. The study found that application of 148.40 and 148.24kgNfed.-1 which give maximum grain (2704.073 and 2950.346kgfed.-1for the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively).And application of 83.28 and 85.29 L molasses fed.-1 give the maximum grain (1838.768 and 2006.834kgfed.-1 for the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively). Also, application of 141.28 and 149.20kgNfed.-1 give the maximum straw (2942.245 and 3155.53kgfed.-1 for the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively).And application of 75.81 and79.26 L molassesfed.-1 give the maximum straw (2014.84and 2173.123 kgfed.-1for the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively).It could be concoluded that yield of wheat responded to the interaction between 160 kg of N/ feddan and 90 L of molasses / feddan, the best results for total profits, net profits, and the ratio of benefits to costs. Also, adding 90 L of molasses / feddan really boosted the levels of N, P, and K that plants could actually use from the soil. Additionally, the most efficient N use when applied about 104 kg of N and 79 L of molasses / feddan. The plants recovered N best with slightly different amounts - around 105 kg of N and 82 L of molasses / feddan.For getting the biggest grain harvest, the sweet spot was using about 148 kg of N and 84 L of molasses / feddan. to maximize straw production instead by 145 kg of N and 78 L of molasses / feddan
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