Growth and Yield of Sweet Corn Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) as Affected By the Different Levels of Bio-Sludge

Norman  G. De Jesus,; Charito  L. Samsam,; Sergia  P. Garma,

Growth and Yield of Sweet Corn Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) as Affected By the Different Levels of Bio-Sludge

Sergia P. Garma | Charito L. Samsam | Norman G. De Jesus

Abstract:

A study on the utilization of bio-sludge as organic fertilizer for sweet sorghum was conducted from October 2010 to April 2011 at the MMSU Experimental Station, Batac City, Ilocos Norte. It evaluated the potentials of bio-sludge as a source of organic fertilizer for sweet sorghum. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The treatments used were: T1 – control, no fertilizer application, T2 – recommended rate (RR) of inorganic fertilizer (80-30-30, NPK kg ha-1), T3 – recommended rate (RR) of bio-sludge (BS) (3.5 t ha- 1), T4 – T2 + 25% RR of BS, T5–T2 + 50% RR of BS, and T6 – T2 + 75% RR of BS. Meanwhile, the parameters used to assess the effects of the treatments were plant height, stalk, panicle length diameter and length, grain yield ha-1, stalk weight, juice yield ha-1, juice sweetness, and bagasse weight. Significant results were obtained in all the parameters measured except for the sugar content. Height, stalk, and panicle length, stalk and bagasse weight, and the juice yield of plants fertilized with the RR of inorganic alone (80-30-30, NPK kg ha-1) and with the addition of 25, 50 and 75% RR of BS were significantly higher than those applied with the RR of BS alone and the untreated ones while bigger stalk diameter resulted from the combination of higher amount of bio-sludge (50 or 75% RRBS) and inorganic fertilizer. Grain yield also increased by 35% when sweet sorghum was fertilized with the combination of higher amount of bio-sludge (50 or 75%) and inorganic fertili- zer; however, values were comparable with those applied with inorganic alone. Overall, using inorganic fertilizer at a rate of 80-30-30 kg NPK ha-1 was sufficient to improve the growth and yield of sweet sorghum. In addition, higher ROI was obtained in the same treatment. Although the application of bio-sludge did not contribute to the growth and yield of sweet sorghum, soil fertility was improved as manifested by the increase in %OM, %N, P and K.

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