Shreen S. Ahmed and A. H. Fahmy( 2017). Environmental Impact For Applications of Neem Cake Coated Urea and Nano Iron Foliar on Rationalization of Chemical Nitrogen Fertilizers and Wheat YieldJ.Soil Sci. and Agric. Eng., Mansoura Univ., Vol. 8 (11): 613 - 620, 2017
Abstract: Slow release fertilizer has become a new trend for saving chemical fertilizer consumption and to minimize environmental pollution. This study was aimed to use neem cake as a natural material for coating urea for improving fertilizer efficiency and reduce N-losses. Also to investigate the application of neem cake coated urea with or without foliar nano iron on wheat productivity. Neem cake coated urea and nano iron were prepared. Two experiments (incubation and field) were carried out. Incubation experiment was conducted using soil samples to study the efficiency of the use neem cake coated urea on NH4+ release under conditions of saturated and field capacity for nine weeks. A field experiments was carried out to study the effect of neem coated urea with or without nano iron as foliar spray on N-use efficiency, wheat yield, components and nitrate leaching. The results of incubation experiment showed that, the release of NH4+ was the highest under saturated conditions as compared with field capacity. The release of NH4+ from neem coated urea was slow for a long period of time compared to uncoated urea. The data of the field experiment showed that the application of neem coated urea fertilizers led to a lower concentration of nitrate in drainage water. A highest increase in the grain yield of wheat was recorded by application of neem coated urea fertilizers with foliar nano iron compared to uncoated urea as a control. Results illustrated that controlled released urea fertilizer improved yield by 24% and enhanced N uptake up to 77% as compared to uncoated urea as control treatment. Applied of neem coated urea and nano iron foliar has increased nitrogen uptake and recovery efficiency of wheat. From the results obtained, it could be concluded that, the possibility of using neem coated urea as well as foliar spraying with nano iron for rationalize the use of nitrogen chemical fertilizers, thereby reducing the pollution as well as reducing the costs of agricultural production.
Keywords: (Neem coated urea, nano iron, nitrogen use efficiency, nitrate leaching, wheat, yield.)
