We were tried with different combination of surface soil cover of cowdung layer for optimizing fertilizer and as effective weed control under rainfed area.
Dr.Manikandan,It is a good idea to cover the soil with cow dung slurry.When will you apply the dung slurry?Slurry may contain around 10-12% dung and the rest may be urine and water.How much dung you could apply per ha,both by volume and weight?After drying what is the thickness of the dung layer on the field?How much nutrients it can supply to the current crop and the following crop after incorporation in the field?If it is a rainy season crop, there will be problem of run off of the material.You may also see whether some moisture is conserved in soil due to dung cover. Whether it is from dairy farm or gobar gas plant?If it is not a composted dung manure it may carry weed seeds.
Thank you Sir. I received valuable inputs about cowdung soil cover.
1. Cowdung slurry sprinkled before onset of monsoon.
2. I have not calculated required quantity for hectare.
3. Dung layer approximately 1cm.
4. It will improve soil carbon and N (0.4 - 0.5 %)
5. Runoff is meagure in small plot size. I will determine soil moisture and temperature.
6. Cowdung is collected at on-farm cattle shed.
Usually tar is sprinkled over the mud on preparation of road. We mimic this practice with 1:15 ratio of cowdung and water mixed on weight basis. It is in fluid state. Cowdung slurry fluid sprinkled on surface soil four times with frequent interval (1 hour) before onset of monsoon. We marked line and sowing had taken without disturbing soil surface after a week. I tried in a small plot 10 x 4 m as trial basis and observed low weed intensity of >15 days than control.
I think we can adopt this technique for on-farm fertilizer optimization, weed control, conservation agriculture and also for organic farming experimental trials. Hence I request for suggestion to improve the methodology for effective soil cover.
Dr.Manikandan,there is possibility to improve the methodology in your future studies.It is convenient for the dairy farm owners to make cow dung slurry as they can wash dung ,urine and the floor with water and collect in a nearby pit.It is applied to field freshly or stored and applied.It is common practice in Europe and they may have some applicators for slurry application . You may see literature on slurry applicators.As you are applying around 6%-7% dung slurry , volume of slurry applied to field can be measured .In slurry , the nutrient analysis has to be done and both dung and nutrients have to be expressed on dry weight basis. Saving in nutrients can be calculated.You can not avoid weed but weeds can be suppressed.It is better to collect typical slurry from dairy farm if possible.
I had recorded less intensity of weed than control for120 days. I also observed on cowdung layer covered portion with highest number of parthenium than control. Kindly provide few suggestion to reduce
Dr.Manikadan,the source of parthenium appears to be dung itself as it not composted.ICAR-Indian Institute of Weed Science,(formerly NRC Weed Science)Jabalpur is taking lead role in eradication of parthenium.You may see their website for all types of solutions for the problem.
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