Effects of Different Organic Fertilizer Compositions (Leonardite and Vermicompost) on Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Yield and Macro-Micro Nutrient Content

Organic fertilizers (leonardite and vermicompost) applied to soil have a positive impact on plant nutrient uptake and productivity. Understanding the effects of different organic fertilizer application rates on the legume chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a crucial aspect of crop production that should not be overlooked.

The research was carried out in a farmer’s field in the Artuklu district of Mardin during two growing seasons (2022-2023 and 2023–2024). Vermicompost was used at VC₁: 150, VC₂: 200, VC₃: 250 and VC₄: 300 kg da^-1, while Leonardite was used at L₁: 50, L₂: 100, L₃: 200 and L₄: 400 kg da^-1. Examined how various techniques used for chickpea affected its nutrient content and yield. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the significance of year, application and year*application interaction.

The analyses indicated that year and application significantly affected most parameters, while the year*application interaction was generally not significant. Nutrient contents in chickpea plants varied as follows: total nitrogen (N) 2.98-3.61%, phosphorus (P) 3010–3833 mg kg^-1, potassium (K) 6625–7086 mg kg^-1, copper (Cu) 6.13-10.07 mg kg^-1, manganese (Mn) 21.8-24.1 mg kg^-1, iron (Fe) 51.7-70.1 mg kg^-1 and zinc (Zn) 30.9-38.6 mg kg^-1. Grain yield ranged from 148.3 to 183.7 kg da^-1, with annual means of 156.0 and 170.0 kg da^-1, respectively. The lowest yield was observed in the control, whereas the highest yield was achieved with 400 kg da^-1 leonardite application.