Effect of different fertilizing and farming systems in annual medic (Medicago scutellata ’Robinson’) on soil organic matter and nutrients status

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of different fertilizing and farming systems in annual medic (Medicago scutellata ‘Robinson’) on soil organic matter and nutrients status. Fertilizing systems consisted of control (no fertilizer), chemical fertilizer, biological fertilizer and integrated fertilizers (different combinations of chemical and biological fertilizing systems). The farming systems included irrigated and dry-farming systems. The experiment was conducted in two experimental sites with diverse climatic and soil conditions in Kermanshah province, Iran, during 2009 growing season. The highest amount of soil organic matter of 1.28 % was observed in integrated fertilizing system of nitrogen-fixing bacteria + phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria. Most of the nitrogen applied through chemical fertilizers was leached out of the plant access, however, application of integrated fertilizer resulted in increasing the concentration of nitrogen in soil because of its slow release and efficient utilization by plants. According to the results of this study it was concluded that the integrated fertilizing system was more successful in dry farming compared to other fertilizing systems.

Keywords

• annual medic
• fertilizing system
• farming system
• soil nutrients
• soil organic matter
• climatic conditions