Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research

Author:Min-Fu Hu*, Shwu-Jene Tsai, Ia-Fa Chang and Sin-Yie Liu

Abstract:

    Effects of combined chicken compost and chemical fertilizer on the yield and quality of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) plants were investigated during two consecutive years in 2001 and 2002. The treatments used were: (A) Full dose applied as chicken compost at 9,000 kg ha^-1 ; (B) Two-third dose applied as chicken compost at 6,000 kg ha^-1 and amending N applied as chemical for ; (C) One-third dose applied as chicken compost at 3,000 kg ha^-1 and the rest of N added as chemical fertilizer ; (CK) Chemical fertilizer at 90:40:100 kg ha^-1 (N-P₂O₅-K₂O) as a control. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates was used. First year results showed no significant difference in yield among treatments, the yield of fresh and dry rhizome was 21.3 t and 6,056 kg in treatment A and 19.3 t and 6,389 kg in treatment B and 19.4 t and 5,416 kg in treatment C and 19.3 t and 5,500 kg in treatment CK, respectively. The curcumin content of rhizome in treatments C and A was 0.48% and 0.46%, respectively, and showed significantly higher than other treatments. In the second year, no significant difference in dry yield among treatments was found. The curcumin contents of rhizome were 0.7% in treatments B and C ; 0.62% in treatment CK and 0.59% in treatment A, thus, no significant difference among treatments was observed. Given that the effects of combined chicken compost and chemical fertilizer on the yield and quality of turmeric plants were similar in CK treatment. In conclusion, although the effects of the combined chemical fertilizer and chicken compost versus the pure chemical fertilizer were roughly the same, the benefits of applying the moderate chicken compost in companion with good cultivation method should be obvious to all.

Key words:Turmeric (Curcuma longa L), Chicken Compost, Curcumin

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