Effects of Combined Application of Organic and Chemical Fertilizers on Yield and Production Cost of Huai Bong 60 Cassava

Khwanchai Khucharoenphaisan and Kanokkorn Sinma

Background and Objective: Cassava is a root crop of significant economic importance. To reduce the use of chemical fertilizer and support better cassava quality and soil health, combining compost with a smaller amount of chemical fertilizer can be a good option. This method may give more yield than using only chemical fertilizer. This study evaluates the effects of the combined application of organic and chemical fertilizers on the yield and production cost of Huai Bong 60 cassava. Materials and Methods: The five treatments used were (T1) Negative control, (T2) Chemical fertilizer according to the soil test results for cassava production as 218.75 kg/ha of chemical fertilizer 46-0-0 and 168.75 kg/ha of chemical fertilizer 0-0-60, (T3) 6.25 ton/ha of organic fertilizer+25% of the chemical fertilizer based on the soil test results as 51.56 kg/ha of chemical fertilizer 46-0-0 and 42.19 kg/ha of chemical fertilizer 0-0-60, (T4) 6.25 ton/ha of organic fertilizer +50% of the chemical fertilizer based on the soil test results as 109.38 kg/ha of chemical fertilizer 46-0-0 and 84.38 kg/ha of chemical fertilizer 0-0-60, (T5) 6.25 ton/ha of organic fertilizer+100% of the chemical fertilizer based on the soil test results as 218.75 kg/ha of chemical fertilizer 46-0-0 and 168.75 kg/ha of chemical fertilizer 0-0-60 for observation and experimental purposes. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and LSD (p<0.05) in PSPP. Results: The fresh root yield in treatments T2 to T5 showed similar results. These treatments gave yields between 21,692.25 and 23,676.38 kg/ha. In contrast, the control group (T1) had the lowest yield at 17,276.06 kg/ha. However, the highest fertilizer cost was in treatment T5, which used both organic and chemical fertilizers based on soil analysis. The T4, T2 and T3 had lower fertilizer costs, respectively. Conclusion: Applying 6.25 ton/ha of organic fertilizer together with 25% of the recommended chemical fertilizer (T3) gave a cassava yield close to using full chemical fertilizer. This practice helped lower chemical fertilizer costs by 75% and gave the best net profit of about 1,350.58 USD/ha.

View Fulltext Back