Paddy Soil Fertility Improvement for Rice Production through the Utilization of Chemical Fertilizer and Filter Cake

Abstract

Filter cake is by - product of cane sugar manufacture. It consists of plant nutrient which is useful for soil fertility improvement. According to low fertility of most paddy soils, an experiment had been conducted with combination of chemical fertilizer application and filter cake incorporation for soil fertility and yield improvement in two different soil types in wet season during 1992-2002. This experiment was 4x3 factorial in randomized complete block design, 3 replications, 2 factors with 4 filter cake rates at 0, 500, 1,000 and 1,500 kg/rai and 3 nitrogen rates at 0, 3 and 6 kg N/rai for photo sensitive rice cultivar (Khao Dawk Mali 105) planted in Koksamrong Soil Series (sandy loam, mixed isohyperthermic, typic tropaqualfs) at Lop Buri Rice Research Center, and 0, 6 and 12 kg N/rai for photo insensitive rice cultivar (Chainat 1) planted in Nakornpathom Soil Series (fine clayey, mixed, isohyperthermic, aeric tropaqualfs) at Ratchaburi Rice Research Center. Results showed that 500 kg/rai was the best application rate of filter cake for those two soils. For fertilizer rates, 3 and 12 kg N/rai were appropriate rates for photo sensitive and photo insensitive rice cultivars respectively. It would be therefore concluded that 500 kg/rai of filter cake and an appropriate chemical fertilizer rate for each group of rice cultivars can improve rice yield by 7-15% and will enhance soil fertility when applied in successive seasons.