Potassium and Organic Matter Increased Carrot Production in Acidic Terrace Soil

Background: Soil acidification is a key abiotic factor that hinders plant growth and diminishes agricultural output on a worldwide scale. The purpose of this experiment was to look at how carrot growth, yield and quality on acidic terrace soil were affected by organic amendments (OA) and mineral fertilization with or without potassium (K). Methods: A field experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Organic amendments and K levels are: control (Co), recommended fertilizer (RF) excluding potassium (RF-K), RF, RF+25% excess K, RF- K+ Poultry manure (PM) (5 t ha-1), RF + PM (5 t ha-1), RF- K+ household compost (HC) (5 t ha-1), RF + HC (5 t ha-1). Statistix 10 version was used to analyze the variance (ANOVA) of growth and yield parameters of carrots. Result: Carrot yield and plant vegetative growth were negatively impacted by untreated acidic soil. OA with K enrich RF enhanced vegetative growth, biomass yield, carrot yield, nutrient contents, â Carotene, anthocyanin, ascorbic acid and total sugar content of carrot of acidic terrace soil carrot plants, indicating its alleviating effects on carrot production in acidic soil. The exclusive use of chemical fertilizer did not have a noticeable impact on the yield and quality of acidic stressed carrots. Among the amending substances, T8 [RF + HC 5 t ha-1] showed significant enhancement in the fertility indices of acidic-stressed terrace soil and resulted in increased growth, yield and profitability of carrots. Incorporating OA and K-enrich RF to terrace soil has preserved a ranking of T8 greater than T4 greater than T6 in terms of their potential to improve productivity. These results suggested that RF and K-enrich RF fertilization might mitigate the antagonistic impact of soil acidity on carrot yield by adjusting soil fertility and creating a favorable environment in acidic terrace soils.