RESPONSE OF RED CABBAGE PLANTS TO DIFFERENT RATES OF NITROGEN WITH FOLIAR APPLICATION OF METHIONINE UNDER SOIL ADDITION OF ZEOLITE AMENDMENT
M. A. EL-SHERPINY *
Soil & Water and Environment Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
DINA A. GHAZI
Soil sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers, as well as their high prices, make us think about reducing their application rates. So, a field trial was performed to determine the effect of zeolite amendment treatments as main plots [without zeolite (control) and zeolite addition at rate of 10.0 ton fed-1) and nitrogen fertilization at different rates [100, 75.0 and 50.0 % of Nitrogen Recommended Dose (NRD) as ammonium nitrate (33.5%N) ] as subplots and external application of methionine as sub-subplots [once in the presence of amino acid (at rate of 2.0 mg L-1) and other in the absence of amino acid] on the performance of red cabbage plant and soil fertility after harvest.
The main results of the current study can be summarized as follows:
- The combined treatment of zeolite amendment and 75% of NRD (either in the presence or in absence of methionine) recorded red cabbage performance better than that under treatment of 100% of NRD without both zeolite and methionine.
- Also, zeolite amendment possessed a positive effect on some studied soil properties i.e. CEC, porosity and available N at harvest stage.
Generally, it can be concluded that both zeolite and methionine have a vital role in improving red cabbage productivity. Moreover, it can be said that zeolite amendment possess an important role in reducing the application rates of mineral nitrogen fertilizers.
Keywords: Zeolite, methionine, Nitrogen fertilizers, red cabbage