Wheat (Triticum aestivum) production and grain quality resulting from compost application and rotation with faba bean

Abstract

Rotation with legumes and compost application are two possible approaches for improving soil fertility in sustainable wheat production. However, the efficiencies of different compost types may vary. Therefore, a two-year field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of traditional compost, vermicompost, and compost with effective microorganisms (EM) in combination with crop rotation on wheat yield and grain nutrient concentration. The compost treatments were applied at three nitrogen levels and compared to mineral fertilizer alone or combined with mineral fertilizer in a randomized complete block design. All three composts, alone and combined with mineral fertilizer, resulted in a higher grain yield than the equivalent mineral fertilizer level. However, the combined treatments with EM compost (5025 kg ha−1 or 2034 kg acre−1) and vermicompost (4975 kg ha−1 or 2013 kg acre−1) in 2019 resulted in the highest yields. Wheat rotation with faba bean also had a higher grain yield and nutrient concentration than wheat production without rotation. A higher grain yield was found in the combined EM (5377 kg ha−1 or 2176 kg acre−1) and vermicompost (5324 kg ha−1 or 2155 kg acre−1). The wheat seed nutrient concentration revealed that EM and vermicompost application combined with mineral fertilizer in the faba bean plot rotation resulted in the highest grain concentrations of N, P, S, Zn, and Fe.

Keywords

• Effective microorganisms
• Vermicompost
• Traditional compost
• Crop rotation