Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research

Author:Min-Fu Hu, Wan-Li Wu, Sin-Yie Liu and Mu-Lien Lin

Abstract:

Combined effects of applying chicken compost and chemical fertilizer on quality and yield of hsian-tsao (Mesona procumbens, ‘cv. TARI No. 1’) plants were investigated in 1998 and in 1999 at Shui-Shang and Kuang-Shi, the main hsain-tsao producing areas located in Central-South and in North Taiwan. The fertilizer treatments consisted of full chicken compost (9,000 kg/ha); two-third of chicken compost in quantities with rest of N applied as chemical fertilizer; one-third of chicken compost amended with chemical fertilizers; and chemical fertilizer (N, 180 kg ha^-1; P₂O₅, 80 kg ha^-1; K₂O, 140 kg ha^-1) as control. The field layout in both experimental sites used RCBD with four replicates. The treatments which had received the full chemical fertilizers in both sites, had the highest dry-plant yield of 9,645 and 7,226 kg ha^-1, respectively. In Shui-Shang, the plants with the full chicken compost had 8,726 kg of plant yield per ha, which was not statistical different as compared to the other treatments. However, in Kuang-Shi, similar trend was not obtained, as the same treatment resulted significantly lower yield (6,194 kg ha^-1) than the other treatments. The treatment with combined use of chicken compost (3,000 kg ha^-1) and chemical fertilizer (120 kg N ha^-1 and 62 kg K₂O ha^-1) apparently had highest gel formation strength. It reached to 141 g/cm² in Shui-Shang and to 224.5 g/cm² in Kuang-Shi. There were no significant difference in percent leaf N among the treatments although the N levels followed in the order of control, 19.4 g ka^-1; full chicken compost, 18.2 g kg^-1; one third of chicken compost, 17.7 g kg^-1; and two third of chicken compost, 16.7 g kg^-1. The leaf N level in the plot received fully chicken compost in Kuang-Shi was only 11.6 g kg^-1, which was obviously lower than that of other treatments.

Key words:Hsian-tsao, Gel formation strength, Chicken compost

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