Using powdered fallen leaves as organic fertilizer (plant compost) as an alternative to chemical fertilizers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65405/80j6w368Keywords:
Faba bean- green manure-vegetative traits- yield traits- chemical contentAbstract
A pots experiment was conducted in the city of Tobruk during the 2024/2025 season, where fallen green leaves from trees were collected from multiple places, cleaned, then ground into a fine powder and mixed with the soil before planting the bean plant (Vicia faba), El-Kobrosy cultivar. The treatments were arranged in a design Randomized complete block (RCBD), with three replicates. The studied traits included vegetative traits (plant height, total fresh weight, number of branches/ plant, average leaf area, total chlorophyll), yield traits (number of pods/ plant, number of seeds/ pod, pod weight, weight of 100 seeds), chemical content (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, protein, total carbohydrates). The results showed that increasing the rate of adding green manure powder to the soil, 300g/2 kg of soil, led to a significant increase in all vegetative traits (plant height, total fresh weight, number of branches/plant, average leaf area, total chlorophyll) and crop traits (number of pods/plant). Number of seeds/pod, weight of pod, weight of 100 seeds), chemical content (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, protein, total carbohydrates), followed by the rate of adding green manure powder to the soil, 200 g/ 2kg of soil, compared with the control treatment (without addition), which recorded the lowest values for all the studied traits. We conclude from the previous results that the powder of ground green leaves (green manure) proved effective on all the studied traits due to its positive effect on the physical and chemical properties of the soil, and this was reflected in recording the highest moral values for all the studied traits, while the positive control outperformed the negative control, recording relatively higher values.
Downloads
References
Adekiya, A.O., Agbede, T.M., Aboyeji, C.M., Dunsin, O. and Ugbe, J.O. (2019). Green manures and NPK fertilizer effects on soil properties, growth, yield, mineral and vitamin C composition of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench). J. Saudi Soc. Agric. Sci., 18: 218–223.
Annabi, M., Houot, S., Franco, C., Poitrenaud, M. and Bissonnais, Y.L. (2007). Soil aggregate stability improvement with urban composts of different maturities. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J., 71: 413-423.
Awan, I. and Baloch, M.S. (1999). Nitrogen uptake, chlorophyll content and paddy yield as affected by ordinary urea and slow-release fertilizer (Meister 10). Pak. J. Biol. Sci., 2: 196–198.
Behera, S.D., Garnayak, L.M., Sarangi, S.K., Behera, B., Behera, B., Jena, J., Mangaraj, S., Behera, S.D., Mahapatra, S.K. and Dwibedi, S.K. (2025). Green manure-based nitrogen management in rice and zero tillage in succeeding Toria and sweet corn sustain system yield and soil quality in Eastern India. Agron., 15: 475.
Bilalis, D., Karkanis, A., Sidiras, N., Travlos, I., Efthimiadou, A., Thomopoulos, P. and Kakabouki, I. (2012). Maize and legumes root growth and yield as influenced by organic fertilization, under Mediterranean environmental conditions. Roman. Agric. Res., 29: 211–217.
Bisht, N. and Chauhan, P.S. (2020). Excessive and disproportionate use of synthetics cause soil contamination and nutritional stress. In Soil Contamination: Threats and Sustainable Solutions; IntechOpen: London, UK.
Cai, A., Xu, M., Wang, B., Zhang, W., Liang, G. and Hou, E. (2019). Manure acts as a better fertilizer for increasing yield yields than synthetic fertilizer does by improving soil fertility. Soil Tillage Res., 189: 168–175.
Cakmak, I., Gueluet, K. Y., Marschner, H. and Graham, R. D. (1994). Effect of zinc and iron deficiency on phytosiderophore release in wheat genotypes differing in zinc efficiency. J. Plant Nutr., 17(1): 1-17.
Chapman, H. D. and Pratt, P.F. (1978). Method of Analysis for Soil and Water. 2nd Ed., Chapter, 17pp: 150-161. Uni. Calif. Div. Agric. Sci. USA.
Chiew, Y.L., Spångberg, J., Baky, A., Hansson, P.A. and Jönsson, H. (2015). Environmental impact of recycling digested food waste as a fertilizer in agriculture A case study. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 95: 1–14.
Chimouriya, S., Lamichhane, J. and Gauchan, D. P. (2018). Green manure for restoring and improving the soil nutrients quality. Int. J. Res., 5(20): 1064–1074.
Egodawatta, W.C.P., Sangakkara, U.R., Wijesinghe, U.R. and Stamp, P. (2011). Impact of green manure on productivity patterns of homegardens and fields in a Tropical Dry Climate. Trop. Agri. Res., 22(2): 172 182.
Etemadi, F., Hashemi, M., Barker, A.V., Zandvakili, O.R. and Liu, X. (2019). Agronomy, nutritional value, and medicinal application of faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Horti. Plant J., 5: 170–182.
Fanish, S. A. (2018). Effect of green manuring on plant health. World J. Agric. Sci., 14 (1): 1-12.
Ghorbi, S., Ebadi, A., Parmoon, G., Siller, A. and Hashemi, M. (2023). The use of faba bean cover yield to enhance the sustainability and resiliency of no-till corn silage production and soil characteristics. Agron., 13: 2082.
Gomez, A. K. and Gomez, A. A. (1984). Statistical procedures for Agricultural Res. (2nd edition). John Wiley and Sons. New York.
Guerra, J.G.M., Espindola, J.A.A., Araújo, E.S., Leal, M.A.A., Abboud, A.C.S., Almeida, D.L., Polli, H., Neves, M.C.P., Ribeiro, R.L.D. (2014). Adubação verde no cultivo de hortaliças. P.241-267. In: LIMA FILHO, OF; AMBROSANO, EJ; ROSSI, F; CARLOS, JAD (eds). Adubação verde e plantas de cobertura no Brasil: fundamentos e prática. Brasília: Embrapa. v.2.
Hafez, A. and Hikkelsen, D. S. (1981). Colorimetric determination of nitrogen for evaluating the nutritional status of rice. Commnu. Soil Sci. Plant Ana., 12(1): 16 – 69.
Huang, M. and Zou, Y. B. (2020). Reducing environmental risk of nitrogen by popularizing mechanically dense transplanting for rice production in China. J. Integ. Agric., 19: 2362–2366.
Jackson, M.L. (1973). Soil chemical analysis, Prentice Hall of India private limited, New Delhi, P. 498.
Jose, A. F. and Paterniani, R. S. (2002). Differential vegetative and reproductive performances among fifteen guinea grass hybrids. Pesq agropec bras Brasília, 37(2): 139-143.
Karkanis, A., Ntatsi, G., Lepse, L., Fernández, J.A., Vågen, I.M., Rewald, B., Alsiņa, I., Kronberga, A., Balliu, A. and Olle, M. (2018). Faba bean cultivation–revealing novel managing practices for more sustainable and competitive European yieldping systems. Front. Plant Sci., 9:1115.
Khursheed, S., Raina, A., Amin, R., Wani, M.R. and Khan, S. (2018). Quantitative analysis of genetic parameters in the mutagenized population of faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Res. Yields, 19: 276-284.
Krishnasamy, K., Nair, J. and Bäuml, B. (2012). Hydroponic system for the treatment of anaerobic liquid. Water Sci. Technol., 65: 1164–1171.
La voie agricole, (2004). Engrais vert encore et encore L’Union des cultivateurs Franco-Ontariens, 1-3.
Lei, B., Wang, J. and Yao, H. (2022). Ecological and environmental benefits of planting green manure in paddy fields. Agric., 12: 223.
Li, F., Ren, J., Wimmer, S., Yin, C., Li, Z. and Xu, C. (2020). Incentive mechanism for promoting farmers to plant green manure in China. J. Cleaner Prod., 267: 122197
Lin, W., Lin, M., Zhou, H., Wu, H., Li, Z. and Lin, W. (2019). The effects of synthetic and organic fertilizer usage on rhizosphere soil in tea orchards. PLoS ONE, 14, e0217018.
Loh, S.K., Lai, M.E. and Ngatiman, M. (2019). Vegetative growth enhancement of organic fertilizer from anaerobically treated palm oil mill effluent (POME) supplemented with poultry manure in food-energy-water nexus challenge. Food Bioprod. Proc., 117: 95-104.
Lowther, G.R. (1980). Using of a single H2So4 - H2O2 digest for the analysis of Pinus radiate needles. Commun. Soil Sci. pl. Analysis, 11: 175-188.
Ma, D., Yin, L., Ju, W., Li, X., Liu, X. and Deng, X. (2021). Meta-analysis of green manure effects on soil properties and yield yield in northern China. Field Yields Res., 266:108146.
Mandal, U.K., Singh, G., Victor, U.S. and Sharma, K.L. (2003). Green manuring: its effect on soil properties and yield growth under rice-wheat yieldping system. Eur. J. Agron., 19: 225-237.
Marsal, P. (1999). Développement céréalier et environnement. Revue ENA – Mensuel No. 293 p1, 2.
Marschner, H. and Roemheld, V. (1996). Root-induced changes in the availability of micronutrients in rhizosphere. In: Y. Waisel, A. Eshel and U. Kafkafi (Ed.) “Plant Roots the Hidden Half” Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, Basel, Hong Kong, 557-579.
Mekky, R.H., Thabet, M.M., Rodríguez-Pérez, C., Elnaggar, D.M.Y., Mahrous, E.A., Segura-Carretero, A. and Abdel-Sattar, E. (2020). Comparative metabolite profiling and antioxidant potentials of seeds and sprouts of three Egyptian cultivars of Vicia faba L. Food Res. Int., 136: 109537.
Miller, P. R., Lighthiser, E. J., Jones, C. A., Holmes, J. A., Rick, T. L. and Wraith, J. M. (2011). Pea green manure management affects organic winter wheat yield and quality in semiarid Montana. Canadian J. Plant Sci., 91: 497–508.
Mulugeta, B., Tesfaye, K., Keneni, G. and Ahmed, S. (2021). Genetic diversity in spring faba bean (Vicia faba L.) genotypes as revealed by high-throughput KASP SNP markers. Genetic Reso. Yield Evol., 68: 1971-1986.
Nebiyu, A., Vandorpe, A., Diels, J. and Boeckx, P. (2014). Nitrogen and phosphorus benefits from faba bean (Vicia faba L.) residues to subsequent wheat yield in the humid highlands of Ethiopia. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosyst., 98: 253–266.
Neugschwandtner, R., Ziegler, K., Kriegner, S., Wagentristl, H. and Kaul, H.P. (2015). Nitrogen yield and nitrogen fixation of winter faba beans. Acta Agric. Scand. Sect. B—Soil Plant Sci., 65: 658–666.
O'Donovan, J. T., Grant, C. A., Blackshaw, R. E., Harker, K. N., Johnson, E. N., Gan, Y., Lafond, G. P., May, W. E., Turkington, T. K., Lupwayi, N. Z., Stevenson, F. C., McLaren, D. L., Khakbazan, M. and Smith, E. G. (2014). Rotational effects of legumes and non-legumes on hybrid canola and malting. Agron. J., 106: 1921–1932
Page, A. I., Miller, R. H. and Keeny, T. R. (1982). Methods of soil analysis part 2: 595. Am. Soc. of Agron., Madison WI9.
Radwan, M. A. and al-Fakhri, A. Q. (1976). Forage and pasture crops. Part Two, Dar Al-Kutub Institution for Printing and Publishing, University of Mosul, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Iraq.
Ramakrishnan, P., Babu, C. and Iyanar, K. (2013). Genetic diversity in guinea grass (Panicum maximum). for fodder yield and quality using morphological markers. Int. J. Plant Biol. & Res., 2(1): 1006.
Ramos-Agüero, D. and Terry-Alfonso, E. (2014). Generalities of the organic manures: Bocashi's importance like nutritional alternative for soil and plants. Cultivos Tropic., 35: 52–59
Sarkar, A., Mogili, T. and Chaturvedi, K. (2003). Variability in specific weight in mulberry germaplasm and its inheritance patern. Int. J. Ind. Entomol., 7(1): 69-73.
SAS institute, (2008). The SAS System for Windows, release 9.2. Cary NC: SAS instituteA.O. A. C. (1995). Official Methods of Analysis published by the A. O. A. C. Washington, D. C., USA.
Sincik, M., Turan, Z. M. and Göksoy, A. T. (2008). Responses of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to green manure cover yields and nitrogen fertilization rates. Amer. J. Potato Res., 85: 150–158.
Stagnari, F. and Pisante, M. (2010). Managing faba bean residues to enhance the fruit quality of the melon (Cucumis melo L.) yield. Scientia Horti., 126: 317–323.
Suon, M., Tith, S., Veu, T., Voe , P., Ngy, S., Hill, S. and Chheang, C. (2023). The effects of green manure on sustainable agriculture soil conservation under open field conditions. Int. J. Environ. Rural Devel., 14-19.
Tandon, H. (1995). Methods of Analysis of soil, plants, waters and ferilizer, p: 144. Fertilizers development and consultation organization, New Delhi, India.
Uçar, Ö., Soysal, S. and Erman, M. (2021). Effects of leonardite application on yield of broad beans (Vicia faba L.) under low input rainfed semi-arid Mediterranean highland condition of Turkey. Legume Res., 44: 942-946.
Vinod Kumar, Ghosh, B. C. and Ravi-Bhat, M. (1999). Recycling of yield wastes and green manure as their impact on yield and nutrient uptake of wetland rice. J. Agric. Sci., 132(2): 149-154.
Yang, Z. P., Zheng, S. X., Nie, J., Liao, Y. L. and Xie, J. (2014). Effects of long- term winter planted green manure on distribution and storage of organic carbon and nitrogen in water- stable aggregates of reddish paddy soil under a double- rice yieldping system. J. Integ. Agric., 13(8): 1772–1781.
Yanyu, S., Changchun, S., Jiusheng, R., Xiuyan, M., Wenwen, T., Xianwei, W., Jinli, G. and Aixin, H. (2019). Short-term response of the soil microbial abundances and enzyme activities to experimental warming in a boreal peatland in northeast China. Molec. Diver. Preserv. Int., 11: 590–616.
Zong, X., Yang, T. and Liu, R. (2019). Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Breeding. In: Advances in plant breeding strategies: Legumes. Springer, Cham., 245-286.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Comprehensive Journal of Science
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
