Multi-criteria evaluation of new humic fertilizers effectiveness and optimal rate on a basis of TOPSIS method

Abstract

Increasing of humus content for improving soil fertility and crop yields requires studies of the interactions between humic fertilizer rates and biomass productivity and quality. Thus, application of humic fertilizer would be purposeful considering relevance of natural humus forming. This long and slow process could be improved by applying different organic fertilizers. Humic fertilizer Turbo Grass (TG), containing 7.8% humic and 1.9% fulvic acids and 19.5% K, was applied to improve productivity and feeding value of grass in dairy farms. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness and optimal rate of humic fertilizer (up to 32 l ha-1) on grass chemical composition, yield, metabolisable energy (ME), netto energy (NEL) and digestibility of intensively managed sowed pastures along with different mineral fertilization. The applied TOPSIS method offered an analysis of changes in biomass indices under different mineral fertilizing background, namely different Turbo Grass rates. Nonetheless, rates of humic and complex fertilizers had different effects on recorded parameters and further studies are necessary to clarify impact patterns.