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Almas Khizar

Bio: Almas Khizar is an academic researcher from University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The author has contributed to research in topics: Ecotype & Loam. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 51 citations.
Topics: Ecotype, Loam, Trifolium repens, Stolon

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of organic amendments (poultry manure, white clover residues, WCR), a mineral N fertilizer (urea N), or mixtures of these fertilizers on microbial activity and nitrogen (N) mineralization through both soil analysis (laboratory incubation) and aboveground maize (Zea mays L.) growth (pot experiment).

52 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that white clover has substantial potential for growth and establishment in the subhumid hilly regions and can be used to recuperate degraded soils because of its ability to sustain high level of pasture production and increase the N status of soil.
Abstract: Quantitative measurements of plant growth characteristics, forage production, nitrogen (N) fixation, and soil N accumulation by white clover were determined in a field experiment at the subhumid hilly region of Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Three indigenous and two exotic ecotypes of white clover were used in the study. Indigenous ecotypes were collected from three different locations (i.e., Tollipir, Banjosa, and Rawalakot), whereas exotic ecotypes (NuSiral and Irrigation) were collected from New South Wales Agricultural Research and Advisory Station, Australia. Data were collected for two seasons (spring 2004–autumn 2004). Total average values for height, number of stolons, length of stolons, number of leaves, and leaf area were 13–50 cm, 9–20, 2–4 cm, 23–81, and 7–16 cm2, respectively. The morphological characteristics of exotic ecotypes were significantly higher than the indigenous ecotypes, and the percentage increase in different plant characteristics was +6% to 214%. Total herbage dry‐ma...

4 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a laboratory incubation experiment was conducted for 120 days under controlled conditions (25 °C and 58% water-filled pore space) to quantify initial biochemical composition and N mineralization of leguminous and non-leguminous plant residues, i.e., the roots, shoots and leaves of Glycine max, Trifolium repens, Zea mays, Populus euramericana, Robinia pseudoacacia and Elaeagnus umbellata, incorporated into the soil at the rate of 200 mg residue N kg
Abstract: . Application of plant residues as soil amendment may represent a valuable recycling strategy that affects carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in soil–plant systems. The amount and rate of nutrient release from plant residues depend on their quality characteristics and biochemical composition. A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted for 120 days under controlled conditions (25 °C and 58% water-filled pore space) to quantify initial biochemical composition and N mineralization of leguminous and non-leguminous plant residues, i.e., the roots, shoots and leaves of Glycine max, Trifolium repens, Zea mays, Populus euramericana, Robinia pseudoacacia and Elaeagnus umbellata, incorporated into the soil at the rate of 200 mg residue N kg−1 soil. The diverse plant residues showed a wide variation in total N, C, lignin, polyphenols and C / N ratio with higher polyphenol content in the leaves and higher lignin content in the roots. The shoot of Glycine max and the shoot and root of Trifolium repens displayed continuous mineralization by releasing a maximum of 109.8, 74.8 and 72.5 mg N kg−1 and representing a 55, 37 and 36% recovery of N that had been released from these added resources. The roots of Glycine max and Zea mays and the shoot of Zea mays showed continuous negative values throughout the incubation. After an initial immobilization, leaves of Populus euramericana, Robinia pseudoacacia and Elaeagnus umbellata exhibited net mineralization by releasing a maximum of 31.8, 63.1 and 65.1 mg N kg−1, respectively, and representing a 16, 32 and 33% N recovery, respectively. Nitrogen mineralization from all the treatments was positively correlated with the initial residue N contents (r = 0.89; p l 0.01) and negatively correlated with lignin content (r = −0.84; p ≤ 0.01), C / N ratio (r = −0.69; p ≤ 0.05), lignin / N ratio (r = −0.68; p ≤ 0.05), polyphenol / N ratio (r = −0.73; p ≤ 0.05) and (lignin + polyphenol) : N ratio (r = −0.70; p ≤ 0.05) indicating a significant role of residue chemical composition and quality in regulating N transformations and cycling in soil. The present study indicates that incorporation of plant residues strongly modifies the mineralization–immobilization turnover (MIT) of soil that can be taken into account to develop synchronization between net N mineralization and crop demand in order to maximize N delivery and minimize N losses.

121 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of amending soil with organic (poultry manure) and inorganic fertilizer on yield and chlorophyll content of maize and sorghum was carried out at the Teaching and Research (TR was highest under control plots in both crops.
Abstract: The effects of amending soil with organic (poultry manure) and inorganic fertilizer on yield and chlorophyll content of maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolour (L) Moench) was carried out at the Teaching and Research (TR was highest under control plots in both crops. The implication of CSI% on drought tolerance of maize and sorghum was discussed.

106 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Abstract: The application of organic residues with wide C-to-N ratio on soils is known to cause nitrogen immobilization unless applied with nitrogen fertilizer. Considering that fertilizer usage is limited in low input agricultural systems in Africa. we determined whether it was possible to alleviate N immobilization of Zea mays (maize) by applying together with Tithonia diversifolia or Vicia faba green manure with low C-to-N ratio. The effect of sole Z. mays application on soil microbial biomass and carbon mineralization were also compared with when mixed with T. diversifolia or V. faba. The objectives were achieved using laboratory incubation experiments conducted over 84 days. As expected. the application of sole Z. mays residues resulted in an initial net N immobilization that lasted for 28 days. Relative to sole Z. mays. the application of Z. mays with either V. faba or T. diversifolia increased N mineralization by 58% and 55% respectively. It was also evident. that in comparison with sole Z. mays. soil microbial biomass and C mineralization were significantly higher in soils that received residues of V. faba and T. diversifolia either alone or in combination with Z. mays. The study showed that V. faba and T. diversifolia either alone or in combination with Z. mays residues had relatively high N concentration and narrow C-to-N ratio. which accounted for the increased N mineralization and improved microbial biomass and C mineralization. We inferred from the results of our study that N supplies from V. faba and T. diversifolia could be substantial in alleviating delayed decomposition and N immobilization of Z. mays residues.

51 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a two-year study was conducted on a sandy clay loam soil at the experimental research farm of the Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan to determine the effect of application of crop residue, sewage sludge, and humentos on selected soil properties in wheat-guar crop rotation system.
Abstract: Background: Improving levels of organic matter in desert soils is necessary for their cultivation. A two-year study (2008 to 2010) was conducted on a sandy clay loam soil at the experimental research farm of the Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan to determine the effect of application of crop residue, sewage sludge, and humentos on selected soil properties in wheat-guar crop rotation system. Treatments were recommended inorganic fertilizer (125 kg N ha −1 and 92 kg P ha −1 ), recommended inorganic fertilizer with crop residues, crop residue, sewage sludge (10 tha −1 ), humentos soil conditioner (200 Lha −1 ), and control. Results: Results showed that soil physical properties were not significantly changed except soil water holding capacity. Application of crop residues with recommended fertilizer and sewage sludge for three seasons significantly increased cation exchange capacity and organic carbon by 57.15 % to 60.95 % and 61.0 % to 65.2 %, respectively. Moreover, combined application of crop residues with recommended inorganic fertilizer and sewage sludge had significantly decreased topsoil pH. Conclusions: The results showed that judicious combined application of organic wastes with inorganic fertilizers could be a useful practice in sustaining fertility of poor sandy soils.

39 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors investigated the impact of water erosion on the soil microbial communities in a hilly, sloped cropland in subtropical China, and the soil samples collected from three plots (I, II, and III) during and for 132h after rainfall simulation were analyzed.

35 citations