Impact of composted or uncomposted organic residues integrated with inorganic fertilizers on n, p and k content in leaves and seed quality of sunflower

A field trial was conducted on a farm at Al- Dujaila area, 36 km southeast of Kut city, Wast province, Iraq during the growing season of 2018 to study the response of sunflower to eight organic fertilizer treatments added with four levels. Treatments included: control (T0); 100% composted poultry manure (T1); 100% uncomposted poultry manure (T2);composted (66%poultry manure + 16.5% wheat straw + 16.5% conocarpus) (T3); uncomposted (66%poultry manure + 16.5% wheat straw + 16.5% conocarpus) (T4); composted (50% poultry manure + 25% wheat straw + 25 conocarpus) (T5); uncomposted (50%poultry manure + 25% wheat straw + 25 conocarpus) (T6); composted (33%poultry manure + 33% wheat straw + 33% conocarpus) (T7) and uncomposted (33%poultry manure + 33% wheat straw + 33% conocarpus) (T8). The organic fertilizer levels were: 0% organic fertilizer + 100% chemical fertilizers (L0); 50% organic fertilizer + 50% chemical fertilizers (L50); 75% organic fertilizer + 25% chemical fertilizers (L75); 100% organic fertilizer + 0% chemical fertilizers (L100). The chemical fertilizers 200 kg N ha-1, 80 kg P ha-1 and 120 kg K ha-1. The experiment was conducted in a three replicates with randomized complete block design. All fertilizer were applied by mixing method with 20 cm upper layer of the raw. Sunflower seeds (Vr. Panam) were sowing in 1 March 2018 and plants were harvested in 20 June 2018. The results revealed that N, P, and K concentrations in leaves, oil content and protein content in seeds were significantly increased in plants received organic fertilizers alone or in combination with chemical fertilizers over plants received chemical fertilizers alone. Composted organic fertilizers recorded highest values of growth parameters as compared with uncomposted fertilizers. The crop under integrated treatment T1L50 recorded highest N concentration (35.03 g kg-1) and highest seed oil content (45.38%). However, crop under treatments T3L100 and T1L100 recorded the highest P (3.93 g kg-1), K (35.08 g kg-1) and protein content of seeds (26.97%), respectively.