Evaluation of Anaerobic Digestate Potential as Organic Fertilizer in Improving Wheat Production and Soil Properties

Abstract

Integrated use of synthetic and organic fertilizers is crucial to sustainable crop production and stabilization of depleting soil fertility. Keeping in view these certainties, a three-year field study was undertaken to evaluate the potential of anaerobic digestate alone or in integration with chemical fertilizer for improving wheat production and soil fertility. Six treatments viz; control (with no amendment), recommended dose (RD) of chemical fertilizers (CF), anaerobic digestate (AD) on the basis of RD of N, farm manure (FM) on the basis of RD of N, ½ N from CF and ½ N from AD, ½ N from CF and ½ N from FM were applied in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The obtained results revealed that the highest yield (grain and straw), N uptake, NUE, NAE, and NRE were acquired through the utilization of chemical fertilizers which was statistically at par with combined application of anaerobic digestate and chemical fertilizer in all years of study while the minimum was found in control. The integration of digestate not only increase yield but also found to be a monitory feasible strategy. Besides, it was inferred that about half of nitrogenous fertilizer (urea) can be spared with the appropriation of chemical fertilizers and digestate integration.