Abstract

Ashoka Sarker, Abul Kashem and Khan Towhid Osman

A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of city finished compost (CFC) and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertilizer on the yield, nutrient uptake and nutrient use efficiency of radish (Raphanus sativus L.). Air dried sandy loam soil was mixed with five rates of CFC equivalent to 0, 5, 10, 20, 40 ton ha-1 and three rates of NPK fertilizer equivalent to 50, 100 and 150% (NP-K = 137-32-70 kg ha-1 ). Five plants were grown in each pot. Only, four plants were harvested after 45 days of growth and the remaining plant was harvested at 90 days of growth. The harvested plants were separated into leaves and bulbs and dried. The dry matter yield of leaves and bulbs, N and K concentrations, their uptake by radish increased with the rates of CFC and NPK fertilizer amendments. Among the treatments, growth performance of radish was better with the highest rate of 40 t ha-1 CFC treatments. Uptake of N and K by plant showed very strong and positive correlation (P<0.001) with total dry matter yield. Agronomic and physiological use efficiency of N and K of radish decreased with increasing the rates of CFC and NPK fertilizer treatments. The performance of agronomic efficiency of added nutrients by radish was better with the application of CFC at 5 and 10 ton ha-1 and of NPK fertilizer at 50 and 100% rates. Results of the present study indicated that 10 ton ha-1 CFC could be used instead of 100% NPK fertilizer to obtain similar yield and nutrient use efficiency.