Foliar Supplementation of Recycled Phosphorus from Cattle Bone Meal Improves Soybean Growth Characteristics, Nutrient Content, and Chlorophyll Pigment Concentration

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Need to reframe Abstract as things are not clear (Need English editing, Treatment and design missing in abstract)

Some extensive review as background on possibilty of P uptake applied as foliar may be strenghtened which is very must

In introduction, sentence framing is not up to mark. some sentence are too long and sense not clear

Introduction need to be rewritten

At line no.  41 delete word cultivar

Materials and methods need drastic revision w.r.t. english and technicality

No.of replication not mentioned

what is experiment? is it treatment. Pl clear

Club some sub heads of  M& M

Statistics not clear.  As weather tome of observation is taken as treatment or not. No. of treatments in RCBD not clear

In results, study is of 1 year only and observations recorded are also not too much. 

 

Conclusions not clear

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

1- The Introduction is scientifically written in a detailed manner and the research subject is attractive.

2- Materials and Methods section:

-       The M&M is confusing for the reader and it is not easy for them to understand what you did. In section 2.2.2, you explained the test plan.

-       You should add a section including a description of the study area and its weather conditions. Then, explain the experimental design and then explain the treatments, and other items.

-       Provide a table containing commercial fertilizer specifications. Also, in the same table, provide the value of NSBMH elements.

-       Why did you use this plan "a randomized block design experiment"? What is the difference between this plan "a randomized block design experiment" and the randomized complete block design? By applying this design, how can you be sure that during spraying on different days, no drops were transferred to the control treatment? Why didn't you use a factorial or split-plot design?

-       What year was the test done? Are your results based on one year's worth of data? Do you think the results of one year can be cited?

-       “Each experiment had five one-liter plastic cup, and each cup had one plant.” Just 5 plans!  This number of plants was not enough for sampling. And in fact, you did not follow the rules of sampling. Soybean yield, dry weight and fresh weight than the average of how many plants were obtained in each plot? One or two!

-       Provide the results of the variance analysis table as supplementary data.

3- Rewrite conclusions

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

In this manuscript, the authors evaluated the foliar application of a neutralized sulfuric bone meal hydrolysate (NSBMH) on soybean growth parameters, pod yield, nitrogen, phosphorus, and chlorophyll pigment concentrations under greenhouse conditions. The results indicated that foliar sprayed with 1% NSBMH improved significantly foliar area, plant fresh mass, plant dried mass, plant height, nitrogen, and chlorophyll a+b concentrations. The research is beneficial to improve waste utilization and protect the environment. However, the detailed composition of NSBMH is unclear, and the physiological mechanism of effect on soybean growth characteristics is still not fully clear. There are potential flaws in the interpretation of the findings.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

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