Effects of Super-Absorbent Polymers (SAPs) Plus Manure Treatments on Vegetation Cover and Soil Nutrients of Festuca ovina under Drought Stress

Abstract

Knowledge of physiological and environmental factors is important for forage<br />grass production. Festuca ovina is a grass species adapted to Azerbaijan region climate,<br />Iran. This species is a valuable source for forage production and soil conservation.<br />Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are three most important plant nutrients.<br />The aims of present study were to investigate the effects of super absorbance polymer and<br />cattle manure on vegetation growth and soil NPK element of Festuca ovina under drought<br />stress. A split-plot design was used with drought stress as the main plot (control, -0.3 and<br />-0.9 Mp) and polymer +fertilizer as the sub factor (T1: control, T2: 50 g manure, T3: 5 g<br />polymer, T4: 5 g polymer + 50g manure, T5: 10 g polymer, and T6: 10 g polymer + 50g<br />manure) in five replications. N, P and K contents of soil samples were determined before<br />and after the experiment using Kjeldal, P-Olsen and flame photometer methods. The data<br />of NPK and two cuts of vegetation covers were collected and analyzed using SAS<br />software. The results showed that the application of polymer and manure had positive<br />effects on all the traits. Higher values of vegetation covers were observed in T4 and T6<br />treatments where both polymer and manure were applied. Higher values of NPK with the<br />average values of 0.69%, 21 ppm, and 395 ppm, respectively were observed in T6: (10 g<br />polymer + 50g manure) and the higher vegetation cover with the average values of 82%<br />and 46% were obtained in the first and second cuts, respectively at the same treatments.<br />Since there were no significant differences between T6 and T4, it was recommended to<br />apply 5g polymer coupled with 50g cattle manure in 4300 g of soil to improve grass<br />production in drought environment.