Utilization of composted sugar industry waste (pressmud) to improve properties of sodic soil for rice cultivation

Sulphitation pressmud (SPM) and its composts were prepared by heap, pit, NADEP and vermicomposting methods and their effects were compared with soil properties and growth, yield and nutrient uptake by rice in a sodic soil under pot conditions. Application of 15 t ha(-1) SPM and its different composts significantly increased the plant height and dry matter accumulation at different intervals, grain and straw yields and N, P and K uptake by the crop over the control. NADEP compost of SPM alone recorded the maximum and significant plant height by 8.5 to 19.3% and plant dry matter by 14.6 to 32.8% over the raw SPM at different intervals. NADEP composts of SPM alone and SPM + rice straw were also found to be superior than raw SPM by recording 34.8 and 27.8% more grain yield respectively. The SPM composts prepared by NADEP and SPM by vermicomposting methods significantly accumulated higher N and K in rice grains and straw, while NADEP compost of SPM and SPM + rice straw recorded more P in grains and straw than raw SPM. Application of SPM and its composts reduced the pH, EC and bulk density of the soil after rice harvesting, though the reductions were not significant in comparison to the control. However, these treatments increased the soil organic C by 33.33 to 69.0%, available N by 41.4 to 74.8%, available P by 47.1 to 97.8%, available K by 11.8 to 59.2% and available S by 10.3 to 90.7% over the control. NADEP composts, in general, were found to be superior than the raw SPM and other composts in residual soil nutrient content after rice crop.