Effect of Compost and Mineral Fertilizer Rates on Mid-term Vegetable Succession

Extensive use of mineral fertilizers in the past to fulfill the increased food demand for an increasing population has deteriorated soil qualities, with increased greenhouse emissions, reduced soil biodiversity, and groundwater contamination. Hence, organic fertilizer is applied to the soil to amend the soil properties and increase the organic matter content of the soil and biodiversity within the soil. This study was performed to assess the impact of varying rates of organic and mineral fertilizers in a vegetable crop succession, and thereafter, to determine if mineral fertilization could be replaced by organic fertilization or if they perform better together assuring satisfying yield and quality produce, while still promoting a sustainable agricultural system. The 5 fertilizer treatments used in this experiment were, i. T0 (No fertilization, control), ii. TMIN (Mineral fertilization, N, P2O5, K2O), iii. T50 (50% of crop N requirement contributed by mineral fertilization and 50% by organic fertilization), iv. T100 (100% of crop N requirement contributed by organic fertilization), v. T200 (200% of crop N requirement contributed by organic fertilization). The treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with 4 replications for the vegetable crops in succession for three years. Analysis was done to determine the impact of treatments on the yield, quality, and nitrogen efficiencies to finally derive conclusions based on the objective of the study.