Influence of Organic Amendments on Soil Properties, Microflora and Plant Growth

Biochar has received great attention as a soil conditioner since it can potentially sequester carbon (C) in soil, enhance soil physical, chemical and biological properties and improve crop productivity. This study reports the results of a pot experiment with olive (Olea europaea L.), carried out in an acidic and clay loam textured soil, and cultivated during two growing seasons under eight fertilization treatments. They included mineral fertilization equivalent to a rate of 100 kg ha-1 of N, P2O5 and K2O (NPK), biochar applied at a rate of 10 (B10), and at 20 (B20) t biochar ha-1, biochar-NPK mixture (B10+NPK), biochar-waste mixtures with mushroom waste compost (B10+MWC), olive mill waste (B10 + OMW), and municipal solid waste (B10+MSW), the organic materials applied at a rate of 20 t ha-1, together with a treatment without fertilization (control). Biochar in the B20 treatment increased the soil C content in comparison to the control. Biochar in the B10+NPK treatment reduced soil nitrate levels compared to NPK treatment. No other benefits to soil properties, nutrient uptake or plant growth were observed with the use of biochar or any positive synergistic effect with the mixture of biochar with the other organic amendments. MSW, OMW and MWC tended to increase soil pH in comparison to the control. Most of the studies with biochar were carried out in soils with edaphic limitations or harsh environmental conditions limiting plant growth, which may have facilitated the detection of favorable effects. Under less limited soils or stressful conditions for plants, such as the ones established in this experiment, the benefits of using biochar were poor.

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Urban Highway Roadside Soils and Shrub Plantings Enhanced by Surface-Applied and Incorporated Organic Amendments

Arboriculture & Urban Forestry ◽

10.48044/jauf.2016.035 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 42 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Andy Bary ◽

Rita Hummel ◽

Craig Cogger

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Amendments ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Total Carbon ◽

Urban Landscapes ◽

Soil C ◽

Growth And Survival ◽

Surface Application

Degraded, highly compacted soils along roadsides present an inhospitable environment for trees and shrubs and lead to the failure of urban landscapes. Developing and testing practices to ameliorate urban soils, thereby improving plant growth and survival, is essential. This research compared the effects of waste-derived soil amendments on woody landscape plants and soil properties on a compacted highway roadside in Tacoma, Washington, U.S., and compared surface application versus incorporation of amendments. Treatments included yard debris compost (surface-applied and incorporated), biosolids blend (surfaceapplied and incorporated), and worm castings (surface-applied only), plus a control with no amendments. Amendments were applied 8 cm deep, and incorporated to a 10–15 cm depth on the tilled plots. An 8-cm layer of bark mulch was blown onto all plots, including the control. Rhus aromatica, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, and Mahonia aquifolium were transplanted from 3.8 L containers in March 2007. One year later, soil under the mulch/amendments was analyzed for bulk density, total carbon, and nitrogen. Plant growth and survival was evaluated for three years. Incorporating soil amendments reduced bulk density by >50% and increased soil C and N tenfold in the incorporated zone. Soil properties within the surface and control treatments or within the incorporated treatments were not different. All amendments significantly improved plant growth in comparison to the bark mulch control, in the order worm castings ≥ biosolids blend ≥ yard debris compost. Neither plant growth nor plant survival was affected by surface application versus incorporation, and plant roots remained confined to the amended zone.

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Effect of Organic Amendment Addition on Soil Properties, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Grape Yield in Semi-Arid Vineyard Agroecosystems

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11081477 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1477

Author(s):

Antonio Marín-Martínez ◽

Alberto Sanz-Cobeña ◽

Mª Angeles Bustamante ◽

Enrique Agulló ◽

Concepción Paredes

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Organic N ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

The Impact ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Grape Yield

In semi-arid vineyard agroecosystems, highly vulnerable in the context of climate change, the soil organic matter (OM) content is crucial to the improvement of soil fertility and grape productivity. The impact of OM, from compost and animal manure, on soil properties (e.g., pH, oxidisable organic C, organic N, NH4+-N and NO3−-N), grape yield and direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in vineyards was assessed. For this purpose, two wine grape varieties were chosen and managed differently: with a rain-fed non-trellising vineyard of Monastrell, a drip-irrigated trellising vineyard of Monastrell and a drip-irrigated trellising vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon. The studied fertiliser treatments were without organic amendments (C), sheep/goat manure (SGM) and distillery organic waste compost (DC). The SGM and DC treatments were applied at a rate of 4600 kg ha−1 (fresh weight, FW) and 5000 kg ha−1 FW, respectively. The use of organic amendments improved soil fertility and grape yield, especially in the drip-irrigated trellising vineyards. Increased CO2 emissions were coincident with higher grape yields and manure application (maximum CO2 emissions = 1518 mg C-CO2 m−2 d−1). In contrast, N2O emissions, mainly produced through nitrification, were decreased in the plots showing higher grape production (minimum N2O emissions = −0.090 mg N2O-N m−2 d−1). In all plots, the CH4 fluxes were negative during most of the experiment (−1.073−0.403 mg CH4-C m−2 d−1), indicating that these ecosystems can represent a significant sink for atmospheric CH4. According to our results, the optimal vineyard management, considering soil properties, yield and GHG mitigation together, was the use of compost in a drip-irrigated trellising vineyard with the grape variety Monastrell.

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Quanti-Qualitative Response of Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cycla) to Soil Amendment with Biochar-Compost Mixtures

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11020307 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 307

Author(s):

Angela Libutti ◽

Anna Rita Rivelli

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Beta Vulgaris ◽

Interactive Effect ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Total N ◽

Qualitative Response ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Swiss Chard ◽

Two Factors

In recent years, soil addition with organic amendments, such as biochar and compost, has gained attention as an effective agronomic practice to sustain soil fertility, enhance plant growth and crop yield. Well known are the positive effects of compost on yield of a wide crop varieties, while both positive and negative responses are reported for biochar Therefore, the aim of the study was to verify the effect of biochar mixed with three types of compost on quanti-qualitative response of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. cycla), a leafy green vegetable rich in dietary antioxidants, largely consumed worldwide. A factorial experiment in pots with two factors, including biochar (without biochar and with biochar from vine pruning residues) and compost (without compost, with compost from olive pomace, with vermicompost from cattle manure, and with compost from cattle anaerobic digestate), was setup. Two growth cycles were considered, and a set of quantitative (height of plants, number, area and fresh weight of leaves) and qualitative parameters (carotenoids, chlorophyll, total N, and NO3−content of leaves) were analyzed. Biochar decreased plant growth and NO3− leaf content; on the contrary, it increased total N leaf content, while compost improved all the considered parameters. The interactive effect of biochar and compost was evident only on total N and NO3− leaf content. In our experimental conditions, the compost showed to be the best option to improve Swiss chard growth and increase the content of phytopigments, while the biochar-compost mixtures did not produce the expected effect.

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Sewage sludge application enhances soil properties and rice growth in a salt-affected mudflat soil

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-80358-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yuhua Shan ◽

Min Lv ◽

Wengang Zuo ◽

Zehui Tang ◽

Cheng Ding ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sewage Sludge ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Root Growth ◽

Soil Fertility ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Soluble Sugar ◽

Soil Reclamation ◽

Rice Growth ◽

Promote Plant Growth

AbstractThe most important measures for salt-affected mudflat soil reclamation are to reduce salinity and to increase soil organic carbon (OC) content and thus soil fertility. Salinity reduction is often accomplished through costly freshwater irrigation by special engineering measures. Whether fertility enhancement only through one-off application of a great amount of OC can improve soil properties and promote plant growth in salt-affected mudflat soil remains unclear. Therefore, the objective of our indoor pot experiment was to study the effects of OC amendment at 0, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.5%, calculated from carbon content, by one-off application of sewage sludge on soil properties, rice yield, and root growth in salt-affected mudflat soil under waterlogged conditions. The results showed that the application of sewage sludge promoted soil fertility by reducing soil pH and increasing content of OC, nitrogen and phosphorus in salt-affected mudflat soil, while soil electric conductivity (EC) increased with increasing sewage sludge (SS) application rates under waterlogged conditions. In this study, the rice growth was not inhibited by the highest EC of 4.43 dS m−1 even at high doses of SS application. The SS application increased yield of rice, promoted root growth, enhanced root activity and root flux activity, and increased the soluble sugar and amino acid content in the bleeding sap of rice plants at the tillering, jointing, and maturity stages. In conclusion, fertility enhancement through organic carbon amendment can “offset” the adverse effects of increased salinity and promote plant growth in salt-affected mudflat soil under waterlogged conditions.

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The effectiveness of arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi and Aspergillus niger or Phanerochaete chrysosporium treated organic amendments from olive residues upon plant growth in a semi-arid degraded soil

Journal of Environmental Management ◽

10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.07.008 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 91 (12) ◽

pp. 2547-2553 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

A. Medina ◽

A. Roldán ◽

R. Azcón

Keyword(s):

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Phanerochaete Chrysosporium ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Degraded Soil ◽

Semi Arid

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Correlation of pH on Soil Physicochemical Properties using Linear Regression Model for Spectral Data Analysis

International Journal of Advanced Remote Sensing and GIS ◽

10.23953/cloud.ijarsg.504 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 3492-3500

Author(s):

Vipin Y. Borole ◽

◽

Sonali B. Kulkarni ◽

Keyword(s):

Linear Regression ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Regression Model ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Spectral Data ◽

Linear Regression Model ◽

Soil Analysis ◽

Soil Physicochemical Properties ◽

Analytical Technique

Soil properties may be varied by spatially and temporally with different agricultural practices. An accurate and reliable soil properties assessment is challenging issue in soil analysis. The soil properties assessment is very important for understanding the soil properties, nutrient management, influence of fertilizers and relation between soil properties which are affecting the plant growth. Conventional laboratory methods used to analyses soil properties are generally impractical because they are time-consuming, expensive and sometimes imprecise. On other hand, Visible and infrared spectroscopy can effectively characterize soil. Spectroscopic measurements are rapid, precise and inexpensive. Soil spectroscopy has shown to be a fast, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, non-destructive, reproducible and repeatable analytical technique. In the present research, we use spectroscopy techniques for soil properties analysis. The spectra of agglomerated farming soils were acquired by the ASD Field spec 4 spectroradiometer. Different fertilizers treatment applied soil samples are collected in pre monsoon and post monsoon season for 2 year (4 season) for banana and cotton crops in the form of DS-I and DS-II respectively. The soil spectra of VNIR region were preprocessed to get pure spectra. Then process the acquired spectral data by statistical methods for quantitative analysis of soil properties. The detected soil properties were carbon, Nitrogen, soil organic matter, pH, phosphorus, potassium, moisture sand, silt and clay. Soil pH is most important chemical properties that describe the relative acidity or alkalinity of the soil. It directly effect on plant growth and other soil properties. The relationship between pH properties on soil physical and chemical parameters and their influence were analyses by using linear regression model and show the performance of regression model with R2 and RMSE. Keywords soil; physicochemical properties; spectroscopy; pH

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EFFECTS OF LIME ON EXTRACTABLE ALUMINUM AND OTHER SOIL PROPERTIES AND ON BARLEY AND ALFALFA GROWN IN POT TESTS

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss72-054 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 52 (3) ◽

pp. 427-438 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

A. J. MacLEAN ◽

R. L. HALSTEAD ◽

B. J. FINN

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Acid Soil ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Neutral Salt ◽

Incubation Experiment ◽

Pot Experiments ◽

P Content ◽

Mn Content

Liming of six acid soil samples in an incubation experiment with rates to raise the soil pH to 6.0 or above eliminated Al soluble in 0.01 M CaCl2, reduced soluble Mn and Zn, increased NO3-N markedly, and at the highest pH increased the amounts of NaHCO3-soluble P in some of the soils. In corresponding pot experiments, liming increased the yield of alfalfa and in three of the soils the yield of barley also. Liming reduced the concentrations of the metals in the plants and at the highest pH tended to increase the P content of the plants. Liming to a pH of about 5.3 eliminated or greatly reduced soluble Al and the soils were base saturated as measured by the replacement of Al, Ca, and Mg by a neutral salt. There was some evidence that liming to reduce soluble Al and possibly Mn was beneficial for plant growth. Gypsum increased the concentrations of Al, Mn, and Zn in 0.01 M CaCl2 extracts of the soils whereas phosphate reduced them. The changes in the Mn content of the plants following these treatments were in agreement with the amounts of Mn in the CaCl2 extracts.

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