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ABSTRACT
A field experiments was conducted to evaluate the effect of soil amendments with organic and inorganic fertilizer (chemical fertilizer) on the potassium availability, improve growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L). In this experiment each organic and inorganic fertilizer (NPK 15: 15: 15) was added as amount equivalent to potassium (K) at levels 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 kg K ha-1. Results revealed that there were significant effect of application organic and inorganic fertilizer on soluble and exchangeable K in soils, the application of organic and inorganic fertilizer at level of 100 kg K ha-1 increased the soluble K from 4.1mg L-1 to 7.99 and 6.00 mg L-1 respectively while, the exchangeable K increase from 23.46 mg kg-1 soil to 118.47 and 74.29 mg kg -1 soil respectively. The uses of the previous treatments were also effective to gain higher yield of chickpea. Application of 100 kg K ha-1 in both organic and inorganic fertilizer gave significantly the highest value. The highest biological yield (2537.78 and 2422.22 kg ha-1) was obtained when the soil amended with 100 kg K ha-1 organic matter and inorganic fertilizer respectively.
Key word: Potassium, organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
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INTRODUCTION
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is important legume crop due to its high nutritional value, it content high level of protein and can compensate human diet in protein, it contains 24.6% protein and 64.6% carbohdrates Abu-Salem and Abou (1). Chickpea is mainly cultivated in the northern provinces of the Iraqi country under rain fed conditions. According to FAO (12) the total cultivated area with chickpea in Iraq was 180000 ha in 2003 and the average production was 104000 ton. Potassium is one of the macro-nutrient considered essential for crop growth and yield development. It has a foremost role in number physiological process like carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis, Osmoregulation and cation-anion balance, Additionally K participate in the activities of at least 60 different enzymes involved in plant growth Tisdale et al., (29). Therefore, elucidation of the mechanisms underlying responses and adaptation of plants to K deficiency is of key importance. Although application of K fertilizers is an effective way to minimize K deficiency-induced loss of crop production, the economic burdens...