Organo-mineral nitrogen fertilizer enhances growth, nitrogen use efficiency and protein content in red amaranth
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2025.1004013Keywords:
Brown coal urea, Fertilizer N use efficiency, N use efficiency, Red amaranth, UreaAbstract
Red amaranth is a popular vegetable in Bangladesh because of its high nutritional value and pleasant flavor. Efficient nitrogen (N) management is vital for sustainable crop production, but conventional urea fertilizers often cause significant N losses. In recent years, organo-mineral fertilizers (OMFs) have gained popularity for improving crop yield and soil fertility. This study examined the effect of brown Coal Urea (BCU) as an organo-mineral N fertilizer, on growth, fresh biomass yield, N use efficiency (NUE), and protein content of red amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.). A pot experiment, conducted under a completely randomized design, assessed five N application rates (0, 50, 75, 100, 150 kg N ha-¹) delivered through urea, DAP, BCU applied as topdressing, and BCU applied as a basal treatment. The results showed that BCU treatment significantly (p<0.05) improved all parameters compared to urea. The highest plant height and fresh biomass yield were found with BCU basal application at 150 kg N ha-1, while the greatest NUE (77.29%) and FNUE (56.84%) were achieved at 50 kg N ha-1. The improved performance was attributed to slow-release and humic-rich nature of BCU, which enhances N retention and uptake efficiency. Overall, BCU effectively increased yield and N efficiency in red amaranth, highlighting its potential as a sustainable alternative to conventional fertilizers.
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