This presentation was presented during the 2 Parallel session on Theme 3.3, Managing SOC in: Dryland soils, of the Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon that took place in Rome 21-23 March 2017. The presentation was made by Mr. Amanullah Khan, from University of Agriculture – Pakistan, in FAO Hq, Rome

1. Integrated Use of Organic Carbon, Plant
Nutrients and Bio-Fertilizers is Key to
Improve Field Crops Productivity under
Arid and Semiarid Climates
Dr. Amanullah
Associate Professor of Agronomy
The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
Email: amanullah@aup.edu.pk

2. Drylands
of
Pakistan
10 %
Wheat
27 %
Maize
56 %
Sorghum
Millets
70 %
Livestock
90 %
Groundnut
85 %
Pulses
INTRODUCTION
Provinces Total
Area
(Mha)
Cropped Percent
areas Dryland
(Mha)
Punjab 20.60 11.04 14
Sindh 14.10 05.45 30
KPK 10.20 01.93 51
Balochistan 34.70 01.40 25
PAKISTAN 79.60 19.82 22
80 to 90 % yield gap: a major
problem of food security in drylands

3. Problems in drylands
1-CLIMATIC FACTORS: insufficient and unpredictable (time
& duration) rainfall, high temperature, high evaporation
2. SOIL FACTORS: less moisture, less nutrients, less
vegetation, low organic matter, sandy soils with high wind
erosion
3. SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS: low yield, food security
problem, lack of facilities of transport, markets & storage
etc., low education, low health, unemployment etc.
4. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS: lack of modern cultural
practices, poverty, growers unable to buy quality seeds,
fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides or use tractor and
threshers etc.
Less attention by the GOVERNMENT
BIG CHALLENGE IN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

4. Objectives
1. To evaluate various organic carbon sources: animal manures (cattle, sheep,
poultry) versus plant residues (cereals, pulses, vegetables, trees) on growth
analysis, productivity and profitability of field crops
2. To evaluate different forms of organic carbon sources (fresh, dry, biochar,
compost, ash) on growth analysis, productivity and profitability of field crops
3. To study the impact of integrated nutrients management [OCS applied in
various combination with (+) and without (-) chemical and bio-fertilizers] on
growth analysis, productivity and profitability of field crops

5. RESULTS
Field crop experiments
on Sustainable Soil Management
at The University of Agriculture Peshawar

6. Grain yield (kg ha-1) of hybrid rice (Pukhraj) as influenced by organic carbon sources and
inorganic N-fertilizer management under rice-wheat cropping system at farmer field
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
4169
7711
8459
7579 6975
6200
7052
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
4169
9681 10104 9674
8741
8165
8690
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
CONTROL 75U : 25OS 50U : 50OS 25U : 75OS
4169
9096 9417
9014
Sheep
Animal
Manures
Poultry
Cattle
Inorganic
Nitrogen
Onion
Berseem
Crop
Residues
Wheat
Control
1-RESULTS
50%
increase
Poultry
Manure
56%
increase
50: 50 ratio
59%
increase
Poultry +
Urea

7. 3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
6500
7000
7500
Cattle OC Sheep OC Poultry OC Control INM
C B
A
5557
6944
Grain yield (kg/ha) of hybrid rice (Almas) as affected by
integrated use of phosphorus and Organic Carbon Sources
(animal manures).
Higher P levels (90 > 60 >30>0 Poultry > Sheep > Cattle INM > control
2-RESULTS
20%

8. 3-RESULTS
Grain yield (kg/ha) of hybrid rice (Almas) as affected
by integrated use of phosphorus and Organic Carbon
Sources (plant residues).
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
Wheat OC Garlic OC Peach OC Control INM
C
B
A
4267
5503
Higher P levels (90 > 60 >30>0 Peach > Garlic > Wheat INM > control
22%

9. Grain yield (kg ha-1) of hybrid maize (CS-200) as affected by
phosphorus, animal manures (10 t ha-1) and phosphate
solubilizing bacteria
Poultry Manure (+)
PSB (+)
Higher P
120=160>80>40
4-RESULTS
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
Sheep
manure
Poultry
manure
Cattle
manure
PSB (+) PSB (-)
B
A
C
4993
4730

10. Yield and yield components of hybrid maize (CS-200) as affected
plant residues (10 t ha-1) and phosphorus sources (60 vs. 120 & SSP
vs. PM) with and without PSB at Peshawar
5-RESULTS
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
Control INM
4517
6031
25%
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
CONTROL PAPER MULBERRY
(TREE)
GARLIC RESIDUES
(VEGETABLE)
FABA BEAN RESIDUES
(LEGUME)
4517
23% increase 24% increae 27 % increase

11. Impact of Peach organic sources, phosphorus levels (0, 50, 75 &
100) and beneficial microbes on grain yield (kg ha-1) of maize6-RESULTS
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
PSB Trichoderma Mean
C
B A
Residues Compost Biochar
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
Control INM
18%

12. Root Shoot
Root:
Shoot
Leaf
Leaf area
index
CO2
exchange
CGR/NAR WUE BMO
I
N
C
R
E
A
S
E
D
E
C
R
E
A
S
E
ORGANIC SOILINORGANIC SOIL
Soil Types Root
length
(cm)
Root
Number
Per plant
Root
Weight (mg)
Per plant
Shoot
Weight (mg)
Per plant
WUE
(g/L)
Organic (03) 27.0 a 20.1 a 635.0 a 1150.8 a 1.27 a
Inorganic (02) 14.9 b 7.4 b 35.4 b 182.7 b 0.25 b
7-RESULTS

13. Conclusions
1. The use of different organic carbon sources were found beneficial than control in terms of better
growth, higher productivity & profitability.
2. Organic carbon in the form of animal manure was better than plant residues.
3. Among the animal manures; poultry manure was found to be the best organic source for improving
growth and yield.
4. Among the plant residues, legume residue was found to be the best organic source for improving
growth and yield as compared to trees, vegetables and cereal residues.
5. Interestingly, the residues of trees (peach & paper mulberry) and vegetables (onion & garlic) were
found better than cereal residues.
6. Organic carbon sources in the form of compost and biochar were better than organic sources used in
the residues (dry) form.
7. Integrated use of organic carbon sources along with chemical and bio-fertilizers improve crop
productivity and profitability under different cropping systems in arid and semiarid climates.
Integrated nutrients management is key to success in
arid and semiarid climates in developing countries

14. Recommendations
• Evaluation of different crops varieties (root: shoot, LAI, WUE, FUE etc.)
• Crop residues management & green manuring
• Animal and poultry manures management
• Bio-fertilizers (Rhizobia, Mycorrhizae, Azospirillum, Bacillus, Pseudomonas,
Trichoderma, PSB etc.)
• Moisture conservation measures (mulching, deep tillage practices)
• Increasing fertilizer and water use efficiencies (increase in yield)
• Intercropping & crop rotation (legumes and pulses crops)
• Farmers training & field days (important)
Integrated nutrients management is key to success in
arid and semiarid climates in developing countries

15. Thank you