Leather Meal Biocompost Enhances Mustard Yield by Improving Crop Nitrogen Utilization under Soil Salinity Stress
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55627/pbulletin.004.02.1616Keywords:
Saline soils, Organic fertilizers, Vermicompost, Leathermeal, MustardAbstract
Soil salinity is a major concern for agricultural productivity and requires sustainable approaches to enhance crop production. Organic fertilizers serve as innovative solution for enhancing crop yields and mitigating adverse effects of salinity. This field study investigated the effects of organic fertilizers, viz. vermicompost (VC) and leather meal biocompost (LMBC) on the growth, yield, and oil content of mustard (Brassica juncea L., cv. Mustard Raya), applied alone or in combination with inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer on a saline soil. The treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications, included 100% inorganic N, 100% VC, 100% LMBC, 50% VC + 50% inorganic N, and 50% LMBC + 50% inorganic N. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were applied to all experimental units as basal dose. The results revealed that the application of 100% inorganic N and 50% LMBC + 50% inorganic N significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced number of seeds per siliqua (21.1 and 19.7), 1000-seed-weight (7.1 g and 6.7 g), seed yield (2301 kg ha-1 and 2171 kg ha-1), stover yield (5891 kg ha-1 and 5639 kg ha-1) and oil content (39.3% and 38.1%), respectively. The maximum plant height (210.6 cm) and number of siliqua per plant (587.6) were recorded with 100% inorganic N treatment only. Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that leather meal biocompost, when co-applied with 50% inorganic N, proved to be a sustainable strategy in enhancing mustard yield and oil content under saline conditions, while reducing N fertilizer input up to 50%. This reduced N input contributes to more sustainable nutrient management on saline soils, with potential long-term soil health benefits.
References
Ahmed, N., Deng, L., Wang, C., Shah, Zia-ul-hassan, Deng, L., Li, Y., Li, J., Chachar, S., Chachar, Z., Hayat, F., & Bozdar, B. (2024). Advancements in biochar modification for enhanced phosphorus utilization in agriculture. Land, 13(5), 644.
Arain, J. A., Zia-ul-hassan, Tunio, I. H., Talpur, N. A., Jamali, I. A., Memon, N., Khan, H., & Depar, N. (2025). Growth, Biomass Production and Phosphorus Relations of Sunflower under 4R Management Strategy. Planta Animalia, 4(3), 161-172.
Bhanwaria, R., Singh, B., & Musarella, C. M. (2022). Effect of organic manure and moisture regimes on soil physiochemical properties, microbial biomass Cmic: Nmic: Pmic turnover and yield of mustard grains in arid climate. Plants, 11(6), 722.
Bux, R. K., Batool, M., Shah, S. M., Solangi, A. R., Shaikh, A. A., Haider, S. I., & Zia-ul-hassan (2023). Mapping the Spatial distribution of Soil heavy metals pollution by Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analyses. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 234(6), 330.
Bux, R. K., Haider, S. I., Batool, M., Solangi, A. R., Zia-ul-hassan, Karimi-Maleh, H., & Sen, F. (2022). Assessment of heavy metal contamination and its sources in urban soils of district Hyderabad, Pakistan using GIS and multivariate analysis. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 19(8), 7901-7913.
Edwards, C. A., & Arancon, N. Q. (2004). The use of earthworms in the breakdown of organic wastes to produce vermicomposts and animal feed protein. In Earthworm ecology (pp. 345-379). CRC press.
FAO (2024). World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2024. Rome.
Folch, J., Lees, M., & Stanley, G. S. (1957). A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 226(1), 497-509.
Irin, I. J., & Biswas, P. K. (2023). Residual effect of green manure on soil properties in green manure-transplant aman-mustard cropping pattern. Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, 57(1), 67-72.
Jamali, I. A. & Zia-ul-hassan. (2025). Zinc-induced Plant Resilience Against Abiotic Stresses: Physiological, Biochemical and Molecular Insights–A Review. Pakistan Journal of Agriculture, 2(1), 27-36.
Jamali, I. A., Zia-ul-hassan, Talpur, N. A., Arain, J. A., Solangi, A. R., & Depar, N. (2025). Evaluating yield and quality of wheat grains under single and integrated use of chemical and nano zinc fertilizers. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 57(5), 1673-1679.
Jamro, J. N., Rashdi, H. S, Bhutto, L. A., Memon, A. H., Shah, M. A., Jamali, I. A., Rashdi, A. S., Zia-ul-hassan (2025). Growth, Yield and Ionic Response of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) to Saline Water in Open-air Hydroponics. Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, 04(2), 189-195.
Li, T., Wang, S., Liu, S., Zhang, X., Dong, H., Dai, S., Chai, L., Li, H., Lv, Y., Li, T.. & Gao, Q., (2025). Trade-offs of organic amendment input on soil quality and crop productivity in saline-alkali land globally: A meta-analysis. European Journal of Agronomy, 164, 127471.
Maqsood, M. A., Ashraf, I., Rasheed, N., & Zia-ul-hassan (2022). Sources of nitrogen for crop growth: Pakistan's case. In Nitrogen assessment (pp. 13-28). Academic Press.
Mari, O. A., Talpur, N. A., Zia-ul-hassan, Memon, M. S., Jamali, I. A., Arain, J. A., & Depar, N. (2025). Soil spatial variability mapping of district Shaheed Benazirabad for climate resilient sustainable agriculture. International Journal of Agriculture & Biology, 33: 330414.
Mathur, P., Sharma, E., & Kapoor, R. (2022). Role of Nitrogen and Sulphur Fertilization for Sustaining the Growth, Physiology and Defence of Brassica juncea L.(Indian Mustard) Plants Exposed to Enhanced CO2 Concentration. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 22(1), 778-790.
Meena, M. K., Yadav, B. L., Dotaniya, M. L., & Meena, M. D. (2022). Can addition of organic manures mediated sodicity toxicity in mustard cultivation?. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 53(1), 77-88.
Meena, M.K., Yadav, B.L., Dotaniya, M.L., Meena, M.D., Jat, R.S., Choudhary, R.L., Meena, V.D., Singh, H., & Rai, P.K. (2024). Can plant nutrient dynamics and indian mustard yield be influenced by addition of organic amendments under saline sodic soils? Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 55(6), 875-887.
Meijaard, E., Virah-Sawmy, M., Newing, H.S., Ingram, V., Holle, M.J.M., Pasmans, T., Omar, S., Van den Hombergh, H., Unus, N., Fosch, A., & Ferraz de Arruda, H. (2024). Exploring the future of vegetable oils: oil crop implications: Fats, forests, forecasts, and futures. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Memon, F. N., Zia-ul-hassan, Talpur, N. A., Shah, B. H., Jamali, I. A., & Talpur, K. H. (2024). Exploiting Selected Obsolete Wheat Cultivars of Pakistan for Climate Smart, Low Phosphorus Input Agriculture. Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, 3(3), 513-520.
Pati, A., & Chaudhary, R. (2015). Soybean plant growth study conducted using purified protein hydrolysate-based fertilizer made from chrome-tanned leather waste. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 22, 20316-20321.
Rashmi, I., Meena, B.P., Rajendiran, S., Jayaraman, S., Joshy, C.G., Ali, S., Mina, B.L., Kumar, K., Kumar, A., Kumawat, A., & Kala, S. (2024). Can gypsum and organic amendments achieve sustainability, productivity and maintain soil health under soybean-mustard cropping in sodic soils of western India. Soil and Tillage Research, 240, 106075.
Reza, S., Akter, M. B., Rahman, M. M., Ali, M. I., & Ahmed, M. B. (2022). Impact of organic and inorganic fertilizers on yield and yield contributing characters of mustard (Brassica napus L.). Asian Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 8(1), 27-34.
Ryan, J., Estefan, G., & Rashid, A. (2001). Soil and plant analysis laboratory manual. ICARDA.
Sahu, A., Salam, J. L., Verma, S., & Samuel, S. (2020). Combining Ability and Heterosis for Seed Yield and its Attributing Traits in Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss). International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Science, 9(7), 720-727.
Shujrah, A. A., Sarki, M. S., Lashari, M. S., & Solangi, M. A. (2024). Efficacy of Potassium Humate Prepared from Tropical Peat Soil for Maize Growth and Nutrient Uptake under Acidic Soil Conditions of Malaysia. Pakistan Journal of Agriculture, 1(1), 1-5.
Sundar, J. (2023). The study of plant growth promoter production from leather industrial solid waste. International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture, 12(1).
Talpur, N. A., Dars, N. J., Talpur, K. H., Qureshi, S. A., Rashdi, H. S., & Jamali, I. A. (2025). Bonemeal biocompost enhances wheat yield and phosphorus use efficiency in phosphorus deficient soil. Pakistan Journal of Agriculture, 2(1), 12-16.
Tunio, M. H., Zia-ul-hassan, Rajpar, I., Talpur, N. A., Jamali, I. A., Arain, J. A., Solangi, A. R., & Depar, N. (2025). Growth, yield, and zinc accumulation of onion in relation to varying application rates of chemical and nano zinc fertilizers. Pakistan Journal Botany, 57(6). http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2025-6(18)
Ujjan, W. H., Zia-ul-hassan, Talpur, N. A., Jamali, I. A., Sahito, F. A., Dhaunroo, M. I., Odhano, R., & Kumar, H. (2025). Evaluating Soil Variability in Banana Growing Areas of District Tando Muhammad Khan, Sindh through GIS Mapping. Journal of Horticulture and Agricultural Sciences, 2(1), 67-74.
Xiao, M., Jiang, S., Li, J., Li, W., Fu, P., Liu, G., & Chen, J. (2025). Synergistic effects of bio-organic fertilizer and different soil amendments on salt reduction, soil fertility, and yield enhancement in salt-affected coastal soils. Soil and Tillage Research, 248, 106433.
Zia-ul-hassan, & Arshad, M. (2006). Land degradation in Pakistan: a serious threat to environments and economic sustainability. ECO Services International. https://www.eco-web.com/edi/060715.html
Zia-ul-hassan, Arshad, M., Basra, S. M. A., Rajpar, I., Shah, A. N., & Galani, S. (2014). Response of potassium-use-efficient cotton genotypes to soil applied potassium. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, 16, 771- 776.
Zia-ul-hassan, Kubar, K. A., Talpur, N. A., Jamali, I. A., Arain, J. A., & Rajpar, I. (2025). L-Tryptophan Blended Novel Organic Potassium Fertilizer Developed from fruit and vegetable waste Enhanced Cotton Growth and Yield. Journal of Applied Research in Plant Sciences, 6(1), 25-33.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Inzamam Ali Jamali, Hassan Shah Rashdi, Liaqat Ali Bhutto, Abdul Hafeez Memon, Zia ul-Hassan, Taj Muhammad Rattar, Aaqib Shah Rashdi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
