Effect of Adopting the Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) Concept on Some Fertility Properties of Calcareous Soil and Broccoli Yield

A Field Experiment was conducted to study the effect of adopting the Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) concept on some fertility properties of soil. The field trial for the 2023-2024 agricultural season was carried out in an agricultural field located in Al-Suwaira District, Wasit Governorate. The experiment used a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications, based on a Split Plot Design system. The first factor included two types of soil amendments: Gypsum (G) and Sulfur (S). The second factor consisted of three levels of fertilization recommendations: 0% (F0), 100% (F1), and 125% (F2). The fertilization recommendation was as follows: 100 kg ha⁻¹ of N, 100 kg ha⁻¹ of P₂O₅, and 100 kg ha⁻¹ of K₂O. The third factor included three types of organic amendments: Green Manure (GM), Earthworm Castings (VC), and Organic Solution (JM). The results indicated an increase in the total yield of broccoli plants, with an overall average of 22.63 tons ha⁻¹. It was also observed that the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil increased after harvest, with an average of 52.63, 29.02, and 119.09 mg kg soil⁻¹, respectively. The increase in fertilization levels resulted in a significant improvement in the studied traits. The highest average was recorded for the F2 treatment, with a total yield of 27.38 tons ha⁻¹ and nutrient concentrations of 58.63, 31.63, and 128.08 mg kg soil⁻¹ for N, P, and K, respectively. Additionally, the gypsum (G) amendment showed a significant superiority over sulfur (S) in all the studied traits. Regarding the type of organic material, the results indicated that the organic solution (JM) outperformed both earthworm castings (VC) and green manure (GM), showing the highest increase in the total yield, which reached 24 tons ha⁻¹. Furthermore, it gave the highest average values for N, P, and K, which were 54.25, 29.43, and 121.08 mg kg soil⁻¹, respectively.