Integrated Use of Compost and Nitrogen Fertilizer and their Effects on the Yield and Yield Components of Wheat: A Pot Experiment

Abstract There is a research gap related to the combined effects of compost produced from coffee husks and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer (urea). The objective of this study was to evaluate the yield and yield components of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. ) under the integrated application of compost and nitrogen fertilizer (urea). A pot experiment was conducted in a lath house to determine the effects of the integrated use of compost produced from coffee husks and nitrogen fertilizer (urea) on the yield and yield components of wheat. The experiment consisted of nine treatments: T1, control (untreated); T2, 5 t ha −1 (8.12 g pot −1 ) compost; T3, 10 t ha −1 (16.24 g pot −1 ) compost; T4, 0 t ha −1 compost + 50 kg ha −1 nitrogen fertilizer (NF) (0.09 g pot −1 ); T5, 5 t ha −1 compost + 50 kg ha −1 NF; T6, 10 t ha −1 compost + 50 kg ha −1 NF; T7, 0 t ha −1 compost + 100 kg ha −1 (0.18 g pot −1 ) NF; T8, 5 t ha −1 compost + 100 kg ha −1 NF; and T9, 10 t ha −1 compost + 100 kg ha −1 NF. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The compost was prepared from coffee husks and applied in wet conditions. The findings showed that the addition of compost had little effect on wheat yield and yield components in the absence of nitrogen fertilizer (urea). However, the application of the highest amount of nitrogen fertilizer (urea), which is equivalent to the recommended field rate (100 kg ha −1 ) (equivalent to 0.18 g pot −1 ), and compost (5 t ha −1 ) (equivalent to 8.12 g pot −1 ) led to a significant (P≤0.05) increase in grain yield. Under this treatment, the grain yield was 26 g pot −1 (equivalent to 14.741 t ha −1 ) which is a 66.29% increase compared with the control (8.9 g pot −1 (4.969 t ha −1 )); in the treatment in which only the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer was used (21.98 g pot −1 (12.273 t ha −1 )) grain yield increased by 16.74%. Spike length and dry matter yield also significantly (P≤0.05) increased with the application of integrated compost and nitrogen fertilizer (urea). The results of this experiment revealed that compost-based soil management strategies can enhance wheat production, thereby contributing positively to the viability and benefits of agricultural production systems. However, nutrient-compost interactions should receive special attention due to the great variability in the properties of compost, which may depend on the type of organic materials used.