Date of Award

4-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Horticulture

Department

Integrative Agriculture

First Advisor

Dr. Shyam S. Kurup

Second Advisor

Dr. Abdul Jaleel Cheruth

Abstract

Soil quality and fertility status is grossly poor in arid regions. The problem is compounded due to lack of organic matter in the coarse sandy soil. Therefore, agricultural practices tend to use different organic materials like peat moss, perlite, etc., as organic materials. Despite the role of these growing media in improving the chemical and physical properties of soils, they are non-renewable resources and have high price in the market which make cultivation noneconomical. Hence, renewable resources like biowaste such as date palm leaf waste has been used as alternative source in the experiment to compare with other composting materials The main objective of this study was to evolve a compost of date palm leaf waste which is generated abundantly and grossly underutilized. In the light of the above, basidiomycetes fungi have been grown on date palm leaf waste to produce mushrooms and to utilize the spent substrate as soil ameliorant. Two crops were selected: viz.,watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and sweet melon (Cucumis melon) as test crops, and four compost materials viz., spent waste of date palm leaves (DPLC), organic compost, peat moss and a compost with organic matters (WOM) separately were used in the cultivation of the crops. Characteristics affecting the plant growth as well as soil characteristics were assessed in order to investigate the improvement of soil properties. The experiments were conducted in the open field at Al Foah Research farm, under the College of Agriculture and veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University. The experiment was conducted with eight treatments; four substrates and two plant species, replicated five times. Treatments included two plants that cultivated in DPLC, peat moss, organic compost, and without organic maters (WOM). The pH, EC, water holding capacity, mineral content, and C/N ratio of the substrate were measured to investigate the quality of substrates. The plant character studies included plant height, fruit production (Yield), number of leaves, flower number, plant biomass, TSS, total sugar, and reduced sugar content in the fruits, chlorophyll, carotene, and mineral content in the plant. The analysis of results indicate that spent substrate of date palm leaf waste is an excellent source of compost to ameliorate the sandy soils to improve the soil qualities, fruit yield and quality to enhance the growth and production of the watermelon and sweet melon. It is comparable to any other substrate that is being used currently. It could be concluded that date palm leaf waste is a good source to generate an eco-friendly substrate in the UAE for undertaking cultivation.

Arabic Abstract

ﺟﻮدة اﻟﺘﺮﺑﺔ وﺣﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﺨﺼﻮﺑﺔ ﺳﯿﺌﺔ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻛﺒﯿﺮ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻨﺎطﻖ اﻟﻘﺎﺣﻠﺔ. وﺗﺘﻔﺎﻗﻢ اﻟﻤﺸﻜﻠﺔ ﺑﺴﺒﺐ ﻋﺪم وﺟﻮد ﻣﻮاد ﻋﻀﻮﯾﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﺮﺑﺔ اﻟﺮﻣﻠﯿﺔ اﻟﺨﺸﻨﺔ. وﻟﺬﻟﻚ، اﻟﻤﻤﺎرﺳﺎت اﻟﺰراﻋﯿﺔ ﺗﻤﯿﻞ إﻟﻰ اﺳﺘﺨﺪام ﻣﻮاد ﻋﻀﻮﯾﺔ ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ ﻣﺜﻞ طﺤﻠﺐ اﻟﺨﺚ، اﻟﺒﯿﺮﻻﯾﺖ، اﻟﺦ، ﻛﻤﺎدة ﻋﻀﻮﯾﺔ. وﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺮﻏﻢ ﻣﻦ دور ھﺬه اﻟﻮﺳﺎﺋﻂ اﻟﻤﺘﻨﺎﻣﯿﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺗﺤﺴﯿﻦ اﻟﺨﺼﺎﺋﺺ اﻟﻜﯿﻤﯿﺎﺋﯿﺔ واﻟﻔﯿﺰﯾﺎﺋﯿﺔ ﻟﻠﺘﺮﺑﺔ، إﻻ أﻧﮭﺎ ﻣﻮارد ﻏﯿﺮ ﻣﺘﺠﺪدة وﻟﮭﺎ أﺳﻌﺎر ﻣﺮﺗﻔﻌﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺴﻮق ﺗﺠﻌﻞ اﻟﺰراﻋﺔ ﻏﯿﺮ اﻗﺘﺼﺎدﯾﺔ. وﻣﻦ ﺛﻢ، ﻓﺈن اﻟﻤﻮارد اﻟﻤﺘﺠﺪدة ﻣﺜﻞ ﻧﻔﺎﯾﺎت أوراق اﻟﻨﺨﯿﻞ ﻗﺪ اﺳﺘﺨﺪﻣﺖ ﻛﻤﺼﺪر ﺑﺪﯾﻞ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﺠﺮﺑﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﻘﺎرﻧﺔ ﻣﻊ ﻣﻮاد اﻟﺴﻤﺎد اﻷﺧﺮى واﻟﮭﺪف اﻟﺮﺋﯿﺴﻲ ﻣﻦ ھﺬه اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ھﻮ ﺗﻄﻮﯾﺮ ﺳﻤﺎد ﻣﻦ ﻧﻔﺎﯾﺎت أوراق اﻟﻨﺨﯿﻞ اﻟﺘﻲ ﯾﺘﻢ إﻧﺘﺎﺟﮭﺎ ﺑﻮﻓﺮة وﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻛﺒﯿﺮ. ﻓﻲ ﺿﻮء ﻣﺎ ﺳﺒﻖ، ﻓﻘﺪ ﺗﻢ ﺗﻨﻤﯿﺔ اﻟﻔﻄﺮﯾﺎت اﻟﻘﺎﻋﺪﯾﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻧﻔﺎﯾﺎت أوراق اﻟﻨﺨﯿﻞ ﻹﻧﺘﺎج اﻟﻔﻄﺮ ﻟﻼﺳﺘﻔﺎدة ﻣﻦ اﻟﺮﻛﯿﺰة اﻟﻤﺴﺘﮭﻠﻜﺔ ﻓﻰ ﺗﺤﺴﯿﻦ اﻟﺘﺮﺑﺔ، ﺣﯿﺚ ﺗﻢ اﺧﺘﯿﺎر اﺛﻨﯿﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﺤﺎﺻﯿﻞ اﻟﺒﻄﯿﺦ واﻟﺸﻤﺎم ﻛﻤﺤﺎﺻﯿﻞ أﺳﺎﺳﯿﺔ وأرﺑﻌﺔ أوﺳﺎط زراﻋﯿﺔ وھﻲ ﻣﺨﻠﻔﺎت أوراق اﻟﻨﺨﯿﻞ، اﻟﺴﻤﺎد اﻟﻌﻀﻮي، اﻟﻄﺤﻠﺐ اﻟﺨﺚ واﻟﺴﻤﺎد اﻟﺨﺎﻟﻲ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻮاد اﻟﻌﻀﻮﯾﺔ واﺳﺘﺨﺪﻣﺖ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻣﻨﻔﺼﻞ ﻓﻲ زراﻋﺔ اﻟﻤﺤﺎﺻﯿﻞ. ﺗﻢ ﺗﺤﻠﯿﻞ ﺧﺼﺎﺋﺺ اﻟﻨﻤﻮ اﻟﻨﺒﺎﺗﻲ وﺧﺼﺎﺋﺺ اﻟﺘﺮﺑﺔ. وﻗﺪ أﺟﺮﯾﺖ اﻟﺘﺠﺎرب ﻓﻲ ﺣﻘﻞ ﻣﻔﺘﻮح ﻓﻲ ﻣﺰرﻋﺔ اﻟﻔﻮ ﻋﺔ ﻟﻠﺒﺤﻮث، اﻟﺘﺎﺑﻌﺔ ﻟﻜﻠﯿﺔ اﻷﻏﺬﯾﺔ واﻟﺰراﻋﺔ، ﺟﺎﻣﻌﺔ اﻹﻣﺎرات اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪة. أﺟﺮﯾﺖ اﻟﺘﺠﺮﺑﺔ ﻣﻊ ﺛﻤﺎﻧﯿﺔ ﻋﻼﺟﺎت. أرﺑﻌﺔ رﻛﺎﺋﺰ واﺛﻨﯿﻦ ﻣﻦ أﻧﻮاع اﻟﻨﺒﺎﺗﺎت، وﺗﻜﺮار ﺧﻤﺲ ﻣﺮات. وﺷﻤﻠﺖ اﻟﻌﻼﺟﺎت اﺛﻨﯿﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺒﺎﺗﺎت اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺰرع ﻓﻲ ﻣﺨﻠﻔﺎت أوراق اﻟﻨﺨﯿﻞ، طﺤﻠﺐ اﻟﺨﺚ، اﻟﺴﻤﺎد اﻟﻌﻀﻮي، واﻟﺴﻤﺎد اﻟﺨﺎﻟﻲ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻮاد اﻟﻌﻀﻮﯾﺔ. ﺗﻢ ﻗﯿﺎس درﺟﺔ اﻟﺤﻤﻮﺿﺔ واﻟﻤﻮﺻﻠﯿﺔ اﻟﻜﮭﺮﺑﺎﺋﯿﺔ وﻗﺪرة اﻻﺣﺘﻔﺎظ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﯿﺎه، وﻧﺴﺒﺔ اﻟﻨﯿﺘﺮوﺟﯿﻦ اﻟﻰ اﻟﻜﺮﺑﻮن ﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﺟﻮدة اﻟﺮﻛﺎﺋﺰ. وﺗﺸﻤﻞ اﻟﺨﺼﺎﺋﺺ اﻟﻨﺒﺎﺗﯿﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻤﺖ دراﺳﺘﮭﺎ ارﺗﻔﺎع اﻟﻨﺒﺎت وإﻧﺘﺎج اﻟﻔﺎﻛﮭﺔ وﻋﺪد اﻷوراق وﻋﺪد اﻟﺰھﻮر واﻟﻜﺘﻠﺔ اﻟﺤﯿﻮﯾﺔ اﻟﻨﺒﺎﺗﯿﺔ واﺟﻤﺎﻟﻲ اﻟﺴﻜﺮ اﻟﻘﺎﺑﻞ ﻟﻠﺬوﺑﺎن واﻟﺴﻜﺮ اﻟﻜﻠﻲ وﻣﺤﺘﻮى اﻟﺴﻜﺮ اﻟﻤﺨﻔﺾ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻔﻮاﻛﮫ واﻟﻜﻠﻮروﻓﯿﻞ واﻟﻜﺎروﺗﯿﻦ واﻟﻤﺤﺘﻮى اﻟﻤﻌﺪﻧﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻨﺒﺎت. ﺗﺤﻠﯿﻞ اﻟﻨﺘﺎﺋﺞ ﺗﺸﯿﺮ إﻟﻰ أن اﻟﺮﻛﯿﺰة اﻟﻤﺴﺘﮭﻠﻜﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻧﻔﺎﯾﺎت أوراق اﻟﻨﺨﯿﻞ ھﻮ ﻣﺼﺪر ﻣﻤﺘﺎز ﻟﻠﺴﻤﺎد ﻟﺘﺤﺴﯿﻦ ﺧﻮاص اﻟﺘﺮﺑﺔ اﻟﺮﻣﻠﯿﺔ، ﻛﻤﯿﺔ اﻹﻧﺘﺎج ﻣﻦ اﻟﻔﺎﻛﮭﺔ وﺟﻮدﺗﮭﺎ. وھﻮ ﻣﻤﺎﺛﻞ ﻷي أوﺳﺎط زراﻋﯿﺔ أﺧﺮى ﺗﺴﺘﺨﺪم ﺣﺎﻟﯿﺎ. وﯾﻤﻜﻦ اﺳﺘﻨﺘﺎج أن ﻧﻔﺎﯾﺎت أوراق اﻟﻨﺨﯿﻞ ھﻲ ﻣﺼﺪر ﺟﯿﺪ ﻷوﺳﺎط زراﻋﯿﺔ ﺻﺪﯾﻘﺔ ﻟﻠﺒﯿﺌﺔ ﻓﻲ دوﻟﺔ اﻹﻣﺎرات اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪة.

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