Submitted by thayer on Thu, 10/14/2010 - 10:35 Title | Use of charcoal as a soil amendment in rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations: Effectiveness in young budding polybagged plants | Publication Type | Conference Proceedings | Year of Conference | 2010 | Authors | Dharmakeerthi, R. S., Chandrasiri J. A. S., and Edirimanne V. U. | Editor | Dharmakeerthi, R. S., and Senevirathna A. M. W. K. | Conference Name | Third Symposium on Plantation Crop Research - Stakeholder Empowerment through Technological Advances | Series Title | Proceedings of the Third Symposium on Plantation Crop Research - Stakeholder Empowerment through Technological Advances | Pagination | 179-188 | Publisher | Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka | Conference Location | Colombo, Sri Lanka | Abstract | Sustainable technologies are important to improve the fertility and productivity of degraded soils under rubber (Hevea brasililiensis Muell. Arg.) plantations in Sri Lanka. Since the mean residence time of commonly used organic fertilizers is very short under tropical conditions, application of recalcitrant charcoal produced from pyrolysis of organic residues has been proposed as an alternate technology to enhance soil fertility. This study assessed the agronomic effectiveness of commercially available timber mill waste charcoal in a young budding nursery of rubber. Sub soils from Agalawatta series were mixed with 1% charcoal (with and without 50% of current fertilizer recommendation) and filled into polybags. Three additional treatments i.e. absolute control without charcoal and fertilizer, two controls without charcoal (one with recommended fertilizer and the other with 50% of recommended fertilizer) were also included. Plant height, diameter, dry weight, leaf area, and number of leaves were recorded at 14 or 18 weeks (seedling) and 30 weeks
Submitted by thayer on Thu, 10/14/2010 - 10:35 Title | Use of charcoal as a soil amendment in rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations: Effectiveness in young budding polybagged plants | Publication Type | Conference Proceedings | Year of Conference | 2010 | Authors | Dharmakeerthi, R. S., Chandrasiri J. A. S., and Edirimanne V. U. | Editor | Dharmakeerthi, R. S., and Senevirathna A. M. W. K. | Conference Name | Third Symposium on Plantation Crop Research - Stakeholder Empowerment through Technological Advances | Series Title | Proceedings of the Third Symposium on Plantation Crop Research - Stakeholder Empowerment through Technological Advances | Pagination | 179-188 | Publisher | Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka | Conference Location | Colombo, Sri Lanka | Abstract | Sustainable technologies are important to improve the fertility and productivity of degraded soils under rubber (Hevea brasililiensis Muell. Arg.) plantations in Sri Lanka. Since the mean residence time of commonly used organic fertilizers is very short under tropical conditions, application of recalcitrant charcoal produced from pyrolysis of organic residues has been proposed as an alternate technology to enhance soil fertility. This study assessed the agronomic effectiveness of commercially available timber mill waste charcoal in a young budding nursery of rubber. Sub soils from Agalawatta series were mixed with 1% charcoal (with and without 50% of current fertilizer recommendation) and filled into polybags. Three additional treatments i.e. absolute control without charcoal and fertilizer, two controls without charcoal (one with recommended fertilizer and the other with 50% of recommended fertilizer) were also included. Plant height, diameter, dry weight, leaf area, and number of leaves were recorded at 14 or 18 weeks (seedling) and 30 weeks