8. Tobacco dust combined with fertilizers improves the soil health and profit of rice cultivation in silty loam soil of Bangladesh

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture research field, Mymensingh, Bangladesh during July-November 2015. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of manures (tobacco dust and sugarcane pressmud) and recommended doses of fertilizers on the soil health status and yield of summer rice. Rice cv. BINA Dhan-4 was grown under six combinations of fertilizers and manures such as i. Check, ii. Recommended Fertilizer Dose (RFD), iii. 75% RFD + one-ton pressmud (PM), iv. 75% RFD + two-tons PM, v. 75% RFD + one-ton tobacco dust (TD), and vi. 75% of RFD + two-tons TD. These treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results demonstrated that 75% RFD plus two-tons TD produced the highest yield and fetched the highest profit. The betterment of yield in this treatment might be attributed to the superior uptake of N, P, K, and S from the soil. Consequently, improved the status of organic matter, total N, available P and S, and exchangeable K status in the experimental soils. Hence, results confirmed that integrating two tons of tobacco dust with 75% of the recommended fertilizer rate is beneficial to obtain the maximum profit from rice cultivation, thereby improving soil health.