Proceedings of the Tomsk Order of the Red Banner of Labor Polytechnic Institute named after S. M. Kirov

Volume 178 1969

ON THE USE OF LOWLAND PEAT AS FERTILIZER

G. N. BLINKOV, A. F. BOROVKOVA, G. S. ZHELNOVA, V. E. ARISTARKHOVA,
M. F. RAZUMNIKOV

At the present time it is considered an indisputable truth that fertilizers are one of the decisive factors in increasing soil fertility, raising crop yields, and creating a solid fodder base for livestock farming. Academician D. N. Pryanishnikov [1] explained that mineral fertilizers are most rationally used in combination with organic ones, which has been confirmed by numerous experiments of other researchers.

Since ancient times, ordinary manure has been used as the principal organic fertilizer. However, on farms manure accumulates in insufficient quantities, and therefore there arises a need to use other kinds of organic fertilizers as well. In the non-chernozem zone, peat can serve as an important source of organic fertilizers, as has already been proven by agricultural practice in the European part of our country and in foreign countries [1], [8], [9], [10], [12], [13], [14], [17].

In Western Siberia, especially in Tomsk Oblast, there are inexhaustible reserves of peat, but it still lies as dead capital. Only individual farms have begun to use it as fertilizer, although the need has long since matured for a broader use of peat for the indicated purposes, and data are available proving the positive effect of peat fertilizers on the yield of agricultural crops [4], [5], [6], [18].

Our department has been engaged in the study of peat fertilizers since 1961 and in its research proceeds above all from the achievements obtained under the conditions of the European part of the USSR.

In our country and abroad, peat is used as fertilizer in various forms: in pure form, in mixtures with mineral fertilizers, in the form of various composts, and as manure obtained when peat is used as bedding for livestock. The best of these are considered to be peat manure and composts, the worst—peat in pure form. The low effectiveness of peat is explained primarily by the fact that it mineralizes very slowly. Composting peat intensifies the activity of its microflora and thereby accelerates mineralization.

We are testing various peat fertilizers, but the main attention is being given to peat composts and peat–mineral mixtures, which at the present stage appear to be the most promising. Lowland peat from various bogs is used for the experiments, but primarily—

but from the Tagan swamp, where it is already being harvested by mechanized methods.

We usually prepare composts of the following composition: 4 parts by weight of peat at 70% moisture and 1 part of manure or green mass of perennial lupine, cut at the flowering stage. During composting, in addition to the named components, we usually also add mineral fertilizers: superphosphate and potassium chloride or potassium salt. In preparing peat-mineral mixtures, in addition to phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, ammonium nitrate is also added to the peat.

Peat fertilizers were applied in holes at 10 t/ha or broadcast at 30–40 t/ha. In both methods, the mineral components included in the peat composts and mixtures, as well as in pure form, were taken per 1 ha in equal quantities, usually 60 kg/ha of active ingredient.

Table 1

Effect of peat fertilizers on potato yield in small-plot experiments

Note. The experiments were conducted in 1961 by L. P. Romanova and A. F. Borovkova; in 1962 and the first experiment in 1965—by A. F. Borovkova; in 1964 by her and V. S. Kozlov; the last experiment in 1965—by V. E. Aristarkhova. In the first experiment for 1965, fertilizers were applied broadcast; in the others—in holes.

The experiments were conducted on gray forest soils, in the fields of the agrobiological station of the Tomsk Pedagogical Institute and of state farms in Tomsk District. Most of them were laid out on small plots of 25–150 m² with three replications. Along with this, a number of experiments were conducted under production conditions on areas measured in hectares.

The agronomic technique was conventional. The yield on small plots was recorded over the entire area, and under production conditions—by plots.

The average yield data are presented in Tables 1–3.

Table 2

Effect of peat fertilizers on the yield of sugar beet and the green mass of maize

Note. The experiments were conducted in 1961 by L. P. Romanova and A. F. Borovkova; in 1963 by A. F. Borovkova; in 1964 by her and G. S. Zhelnova. The fertilizers were applied in the planting holes.

From Table 1 we see that composts are highly effective: in general, they give an increase in potato yield of 48–118 c/ha, or 31–82%. The fertilizing value of composts made from peat and manure has long been known. According to our data, composts made from peat and the green mass of perennial lupine are no less effective, which is of undoubted interest for Siberia. The point is that perennial lupine has been successfully grown by our department since 1951 and annually gives high yields [15]. The use of this crop appears especially promising in connection with the agricultural development of peatlands, the beginning of which has already been laid in our region.

Under comparable conditions, against the background of a peat-mineral mixture, the yield increase is higher than with composts: in the 1964 experiment it is higher by 12–13 c/ha, or by 8%. However, for economic reasons preference should be given to composts, since in preparing them one can do without the expenditure of costly nitrogen salts. Complete mineral fertilizer in pure form gave a comparatively small increase in the indicated experiment; it is less than that from the peat-mineral mixture by 8 c/ha, or by 5%. Peat in pure form, in comparison with other fertilizers, is the least effective, but nevertheless it gives a noticeable increase, which in the 1965 experiments exceeds the control by 18 c/ha, or by 11%.

Effectiveness of peat fertilizers under production conditions

Table 3

Note: The experiments were conducted: on cabbage—by agronomists G. G. Boltovsky and Gen; on potatoes at the Takhtamyshevsky state farm—by assistant V. M. Bykov and laboratory assistant V. I. Troitsky, and at the Zavarzino state farm—by postgraduate student M. F. Razumnikov. In the first experiment the fertilizers were applied in the planting holes; in the others, broadcast over the entire area.

From the comparisons presented, it is evident that the nutrients contained in the peats we used are assimilated by plants, especially after composting.

Judging from Table 2, peat fertilizers are also highly effective with respect to sugar beet and maize. The yield of sugar beet increases: from compost—by 55 centners/ha, and from the peat-mineral mixture—by 63 centners/ha; the yield of green maize mass, respectively, by 131–189 centners/ha and by 253 centners/ha.

The regularities noted on the basis of small-plot experiments are also confirmed in experiments under production conditions, as illustrated by Table 3. Peat in pure form gives a small yield increase, which, according to experiments at the Takhtamyshevsky state farm, exceeds the control by 16 centners/ha, or by 11%. Composts very sharply increase the yield: according to experiments at the Zavarzino state farm, the yield increase from 30 tons/ha of compost is 119 centners, and from 100 tons/ha of compost—175 centners. The peat-mineral mixture proved still more effective: in the cabbage experiment at the Takhtamyshevsky state farm, it increased the yield of heads by 356 centners/ha. The excessive effect on cabbage is explained by the fact that the experiment with it was conducted on extremely exhausted soil.

On exhausted sandy soil, according to an experiment at the Takhtamyshevsky state farm with cucumbers, conducted in 1965 by laboratory assistant V. I. Troitskii under production conditions, a large yield increase was also given by peat in pure form, applied in an amount of 100 tons/ha. The cucumber yield was recorded from August 5 to 26 by plots of 100 sq. m. Calculated per 1 ha, the cucumbers obtained were: in the control—23.2 centners, with peat—49.1 centners. Thus, the yield increased from peat by 112%.

On the effectiveness of azotobacterin and nitragin against a background of peat fertilizers

Along with peat fertilizers, our department also studies bacterial fertilizers—azotobacterin and nitragin—which are usually applied in combination with other fertilizers, including peat fertilizers. We prepare azotobacterin by the method adopted in our laboratory [3], using a freshly isolated culture of Azotobacter chroococcum from local gray forest soil; in this case, lowland-type peat is used as the substrate. We also prepare nitragin partly ourselves (“root” nitragin), but for the most part we use factory-produced nitragin.

Data on the effect of azotobacterin are presented in Table 4.

It is evident from Table 4 that, against a background of composts, azotobacterin increases the potato yield by 14–16 centners/ha and the sugar-beet yield by 17–18 centners/ha. With peat in pure form, the yield increase from azotobacterin is 8–9 centners/ha.

According to literature data [2], [7], [11], [16], the yield increase from azotobacterin varies widely; in many cases it is higher than in our experiments. The comparatively modest effect of azotobacterin in our experiments can be explained above all by the fact that, before its application, azotobacter was already present in considerable amounts both in the soils of our experimental plots and in our peat fertilizers. Consequently, by applying azotobacterin we merely increased the concentration of azotobacter in the soil.

The influence of peat-manure-mineral compost on the effectiveness of nitragin is clearly illustrated by Table 5, which summarizes data on the yield of green soybean mass.

Table 5 shows that compost by itself substantially increases the soybean yield and its protein content: the yield—by 27–47 centners/ha, the content ...

protein content—4.4–2.4%. At the same time, compost enhances the effect of nitragin: under the influence of nitragin against an RK background, the yield increases by 35 c/ha up to the flowering phase and by 86 c/ha by the grain-filling stage, while against the compost background the yield increase is, respectively, 47 and 118 c/ha;

Table 4

Effectiveness of azotobacterin against a background of peat fertilizers

Note: The experiments were conducted—on potatoes by G. S. Zhelnova, on beets by her and A. F. Borovkova. The second experiment in 1965 was conducted at the Zavarzino state farm; all the others—at the experimental agricultural station of the Pedagogical Institute.

protein in the control variants is contained at 10.95% in the first and 6.30% in the second of the indicated phases, while under the influence of nitragin the protein content correspondingly rises to 19.91–10.91% against an RK background and to 22.06–15.25% against the compost background.

The significance of the combined effect of compost and nitragin is brought out still more clearly in the protein-yield indicators: the protein content before flowering rises from 1.64 to 6.22 q/ha, and at the grain-filling phase—to 12.23 q/ha.

Our data on soybean are of undoubted interest not only theoretically, but also for agricultural practice. The point is that at present soybean is cultivated on a large scale together with corn for silage, while nitragin is still not being applied; as a result, the value of soybean as a silage crop is sharply reduced.

Table 5

Effect of nitraginization on the yield of green soybean mass

Note: The experiment was conducted by E. L. Ishchenko and V. E. Aristarkhova in 1964.

Nitragin and compost have a beneficial effect on the protein content not only in the vegetative mass, but also in the grain, which is confirmed by experiments of our department on peas: under the influence of nitragin, the protein content in the grain increased on the PK background from 20.74 to 26.25%, and on the compost background—to 28.73%.

The high effectiveness of nitragin on soybean is explained by the fact that this is a new crop for our conditions and that in our soils there are still no nodule bacteria corresponding to it. Peas have long been cultivated here, and their nodule bacteria are found everywhere; therefore the effect of nitragin on them is weaker.

Conclusions

1. The lowland peats of the Tomsk region possess valuable agronomic properties and can serve as a good source of organic fertilizers.

2. In pure form, peat mineralizes slowly and therefore gives a comparatively small increase in yield, which with its usual

dose for potatoes does not exceed 14–18 centners/ha. To obtain high yields, large doses of peat are required, three times exceeding the manure rates. It is most advisable to use peat in the form of mixtures with mineral fertilizers and in the form of composts.

1. Lowland peat mixed with NPK gives a significantly greater increase in yield than a mixture of the indicated mineral components in pure form (for potatoes, by approximately 6–10 centners/ha), which also indicates the use by plants of peat in the first year after its incorporation into the soil.

2. Peat-manure-mineral composts are highly effective, which is characteristic of them even when only 1 part manure is taken for 4 parts peat, and only phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added from the mineral components. In our experiments with potatoes, ordinary doses of such composts increase the yield by 48–118 centners/ha. In terms of their fertilizing value, these composts approach uncomposted mixtures of peat and NPK, and sometimes even surpass them.

3. When manure is replaced by an equivalent amount of green mass of perennial lupine, composts are obtained that are equivalent to peat-manure composts. This fact is of undoubted interest, since perennial lupine is a high-yielding crop and, even under Siberian conditions, can be cultivated directly on drained peatlands.

4. The effectiveness of peat fertilizers increases noticeably when azotobacterin is added to them, despite the fact that they contain spontaneous azotobacter in significant quantities.

5. The use of peat fertilizers as a background for nitragin appears very promising. These fertilizers not only in themselves substantially increase the yield of legumes and the protein content in them, but also greatly enhance the action of nitragin. For example, in experiments with soybean, the yield of green mass by the grain-filling stage increases: from nitragin on the PK background—by 39%, and from nitragin and compost—by 82%; the protein yield increases: in the first case—from 2.5 to 6 centners/ha, and in the second case—to more than 12 centners/ha.

References

1. Acad. D. N. Pryanishnikov. Selected Works, vol. 1. Agrochemistry. Selkhozgiz. Moscow, Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, vol. III, 1952.

2. G. N. Blinkov. The use of azotobacter under vegetable crops. In: Bacterial Fertilizers, p. 36, Novosibirsk, 1937.

3. G. N. Blinkov. Azotobacter and Its Significance for Higher Plants. Tomsk State University Press. Tomsk, 1959.

4. G. N. Blinkov, A. F. Borovkova. On the effectiveness of peat fertilizers in the environs of the city of Tomsk. Proceedings of the Tomsk Branch of the All-Union Botanical Society, vol. V, p. 105, Krasnoyarsk, 1964.

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6. A. F. Borovkova. Peat-manure composts and their effectiveness in a vegetation experiment. In: Questions of the Chemicalization of Agriculture in Tomsk Oblast. Zap.-Sib. Book Publishing House, Tomsk Branch, 1965.

7. L. M. Dorosinsky. Bacterial Fertilizers—an Additional Means of Increasing Yield. Rosselkhozizdat. Moscow, 1965.

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