Soil development of an artificial soil mix: nutrient dynamics, plant growth, and initial physical changes

Soil Research ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 465 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Cox ◽  
R. J. Whelan

An artificial soil mix made out of industry wastes and sewage sludge has been created for the revegetation of an industrial site. Physico-chemical properties were measured over time to examine soil formation in a chronosequence of 11 gardens aged 3–11 years, and in a 3-year longitudinal study of 8 replicate experimental plots. In the field plots, available nutrient content was initially high but declined quickly in 3 months. Particle weathering occurred, with an increase in the finer soil fractions after 1 year. pH was initially 7.62 and declined to 6.85 by 3 years. Native tree growth was exceptionally good over the 2 years monitored, with average trunk diameter increases of 144 mm for Corymbia maculata, 94 mm for Acacia floribunda, and 39 mm for Callistemon salignus. In the chronosequence study, there was a build- up of nutrients (C, N, and P) in the soil mix over 6–10 years, with a slight decrease by 11 years. This study has shown that soil development has occurred in the short and longer terms, with rapid changes seen in the first 12 months. High levels of N and P remaining after 11 years, and abundant organic C for microbial decomposition, indicate the potential for nutrient cycling

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 801-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Karmakar ◽  
K. Brahmachari ◽  
A. Gangopadhyay ◽  
S. R. Choudhury

Generation of organic wastes has been increased in an unprecedented rate in India with rapid population expansion, leading to disposal problems. These organic wastes can be converted into valuable wealth by applying vermicomposting technology. Vermicompost which provides macro and micro nutrients to the plants, also reduces pollution by providing a valuable substitute for chemical fertilizers. Present paper deals with vermicomposting of organic wastes from seven different sources and evaluation of nutrient in those vermicomposts following chemical analyses. These seven sources include coconut coir, water hyacinth, mixed materials, cabbage, banana pseudostem, cow dung, and rice husk. Three composting species of earthworms e.g.Eisenia. fetida, Eudrilus. eugeniae, andPerionyx excavatuswere chosen for the experiment. Chemical analysis of vermicomposts under study clearly showed that the vermicompost from water hyacinth contained maximum amount of organic C, total N, and total K though the phosphorous content was maximum in vermicompost from mixed materials. Lowest nutrient content was observed in vermicompost of coconut coir. Vermicomposts from mixed materials, cabbage, banana pseudostem were at per in their chemical properties. It can be concluded that among the seven sources, vermicompost from water hyacinth is best for its nutrient value.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 086-092
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Ramírez-Iglesias ◽  
Rosa Mary Hernández-Hernandez ◽  
José Rubén Iglesias

Mineral deficiencies in soil-plant-animal relations are linked to chemical properties and reproductive problems in grazing animals. The objective of this study was to determine the dynamics of K, Ca, and Mg in the green leaf biomass of two types of introduced forages, Brachiaria dyctioneura (Bd) and Centrosema macrocarpum (Cm), compared to the natural vegetation of the neotropical savannah (NS) in an agricultural ecosystem. The three types of vegetation, associated with the corn crop, served as livestock feed during the dry season. The soil’s nutrient content (0-15 cm depth), the production and nutritional dynamics of green leaf biomass, and leaf/stem relationships in the fields during the grazing period were determined. In the corn crop-livestock agroecosystem, K decreased (%) in concentration as the grazing period progressed, presenting the following trend: Bd>Cm>NS. The dynamics of Ca and Mg in green leaf biomass increased slightly (p<0.05) by the end of the grazing period for Bd and Cm, in contrast to a significant decrease in the natural vegetation of the savannah. The concentration of K in the soil did not reveal significant differences between ground cover and NS plants, and the soils under Cm evidenced the highest percentage of Ca. A higher percentage of Mg was observed in the soil planted with Cm. For the three types of vegetation, an improvement was observed in the nutritional quality of the forage and soil and in the yield (kg/ha). These findings are valuable contributions within the context of production in savannas and to forage quality for livestock.  


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 271
Author(s):  
Sudaryono .

In general, coastal areas have the physical and chemical properties of lessfertile land with an extreme dry climate, so that only a few plants that can live,including Jatropha curcas L. To enhance fertility and improve soil physicalproperties, need the addition of organic fertilizer. Source of compost canbe derived from a variety of wastes, including household waste and landfill.Quality compost landfill taken from Piyungan, Yogyakarta, has a high content of organic C, pH neutral, low N concentration, with the ratio C/N is very high. But compost landfill has an obstacle in the form of heavy metal containing high Cu and Pb. To prevent accumulation heavy metals into plant tissue or clean up heavy metals from the soil it was attempted by phytoremediation using jatropha plantation and bio-fertilizer that contains bacteria Azotobacter sp and Pseudomonas sp.From the research results can be informed that: (1) The city compost and biological fertilizers, can increase soil fertility with increasing nutrient content in soil. (2) Biofertilizers could inhibit the accumulation of copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) into Jatropha curcas L., (3)Jatropha plant can be classified as phytoremediation plants, because it can absorption heavy metals into leaf tissue.Key words: landfill compost , bio fertilizer, jatropha plants, heavy metals


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 394
Author(s):  
Edward Wilczewski ◽  
Józef Sadkiewicz ◽  
Anna Piotrowska-Długosz ◽  
Lech Gałęzewski

Catch crop cultivation for green manure is considered to be a sustainable agricultural strategy whose main goal is to mitigate the negative effects of inappropriate plant sequent by increasing the soil biological activity, improving the nutrient content and reducing their loss from soil. Additionally, correct catch crop management is expected to improve the yield of consequent crops as well as their quality parameters. The effects of field pea when used as a catch crop, either incorporated in autumn or mulched and incorporated in spring vs. a control—without a catch crop on the soil chemical properties (total N, organic C, available forms of K and P) and the composition of spring barley grain and straw (total N, P, K, Ca) were studied for three years (2009 to 2011) in two-field, one-factor experiments, which were conducted on two different soil types (Luvisol and Phaeozem). The catch crop had no effect regarding the soil pH, soil organic C or total N content. In turn, applying a catch crop significantly affected the concentration of the available K (in both soils) and available P content (Phaeozem). The effect of a catch crop on the nutrients in the grain and straw of spring barley was associated with the soil type. In Luvisol, a catch crop, independent of its management, increased the total N and P in the grain and straw of spring barley. In Phaeozem, a catch crop that was incorporated in the autumn significantly increased the K content in grain.


Author(s):  
Timothy R. Seastedt

This chapter examines alpine soils from a traditional soil science and ecological perspective, with a bias toward the latter. Soil physical and chemical properties are presented, but the soils as a resource for the biota as well as the feedbacks between abiotic and biotic processes are emphasized. Over half a century ago, Hans Jenny (1941) developed a conceptual model of the factors responsible for soil development. Jenny recognized that parent material, climate, topography, and geological and ecological disturbance factors could be viewed as independent phenomena that interact to produce soils. Jenny (1980) subsequently expanded this model to one that was also useful to describe entire ecosystems. To date, I've found no better framework with which to explain soils as true ecosystem characteristics—an entity generated by the interaction of biota with the abiotic environment. Accordingly, the roles that parent materials, topography, climate, biota, and disturbance frequencies have in controlling the structural and functional aspects of alpine soils are discussed. Because each of these five factors of soil formation has the potential to interact with various combinations of the other four factors, the number of possible combinations—and soil types—is surprisingly large, especially when one or more of the five factors exhibits tremendous within-site variability. Certainly the alpine must rank “most heterogeneous” among terrestrial ecosystem types in terms of topography, making this variable particularly important in any discussion of soil characteristics. As will be demonstrated, however, the other four factors also exhibit significant variation that contributes to the complexity of the alpine soil landscape. Soil characteristics emphasized here include those variables that affect and are affected by biotic processes over time scales ranging from a single growing season to decades to centuries. Hence, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil acidity (pH), soil water content, nutrient content and flux, and carbon storage and flux, are of primary concern. Detailed information about the soils of this region comes primarily from two sources, Scott Burns’s 1980 dissertation on soil distribution and development in the Niwot Ridge-Green Lakes region, and an extensive series of publications by M. I. Litaor. Burns provided classical soil descriptions based on the analysis of 97 extensive soil pit excavations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Ali Munawar ◽  
. Indarmawan ◽  
Hery Suhartoyo

Vegetation establishment is considered as a critical step of mined land rehabilitation. The growing plants do not only prevent soil erosion, but also play important roles in soil ecosystem development. Their litterfall is the main process of transferring organic matter and nutrients from aboveground tree biomass to soil. Thus, its quantification would aid in understanding biomass and nutrient dynamics of the ecosystem. This study was aimed to investigate the litter production and its decomposition rate in a reclaimed mined land using albizia and sesbania, and theireffects on some soil properties. The litter under each stand was biweekly collected for four months. At the same time litter samples were decomposed in mesh nylon bags in soils and the remaining litters were biweekly measured. Soil samples were taken from 0-15 cm depths from each stand for analyses of soil organic C, total N, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The results demonstrated that total litter production under albizia (10.58 t ha-1 yr-1) was almost twice as much as that under sesbania stands (5.43 t ha-1 yr-1). Albizia litter was dominated by leaf litter (49.26%) and least as understory vegetation (23.31%), whereas sesbania litter was more evenly distributed among litter types. Decomposition rates of all litters were fastest in the initial stage and then gradually decreased. Sesbania leaf litters decomposed fastest, while albizia twigs slowest. Differences in the litter production and decomposition rates of the two species had not sufficiently caused significant effects on organic-C, total N, and CEC of the soilsafter one year of revegetation.Keywords: Albizia (Paraserianthes falcataria), decomposition rates, litter, mined land, Sesbania grandiflora


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-200
Author(s):  
Anca-Luiza Stanila ◽  
Catalin Cristian Simota ◽  
Mihail Dumitru

Highlighting the sandy soil of Oltenia Plain calls for a better knowledge of their variability their correlation with major natural factors from each physical geography. Pedogenetic processes specific sandy soils are strongly influenced by nature parent material. This leads, on the one hand, climate aridity of the soil due to strong heating and accumulation of small water reserves, consequences emphasizing the moisture deficit in the development of the vegetation and favoring weak deflation, and on the other hand, an increase in mineralization organic matter. Relief under wind characteristic sandy land, soil formation and distribution has some particularly of flat land with the land formed on the loess. The dune ridges are less evolved soils, profile underdeveloped and poorly supplied with nutrients compared to those on the slopes of the dunes and the interdune, whose physical and chemical properties are more favorable to plant growth.Both Romanati Plain and the Blahnita (Mehedinti) Plain and Bailesti Plain, sand wind shaped covering a finer material, loamy sand and even loess (containing up to 26% clay), also rippled with negative effects in terms of overall drainage. Depending on the pedogenetic physical and geographical factors that have contributed to soil cover, in the researched were identified following classes of soils: protisols, cernisols, cambisols, luvisols, hidrisols and antrosols.Obtaining appropriate agricultural production requires some land improvement works (especially fitting for irrigation) and agropedoameliorative works. Particular attention should be paid to preventing and combating wind erosion.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Burgeon ◽  
Julien Fouché ◽  
Sarah Garré ◽  
Ramin Heidarian-Dehkordi ◽  
Gilles Colinet ◽  
...  

&lt;p&gt;The amendment of biochar to soils is often considered for its potential as a climate change mitigation and adaptation tool through agriculture. Its presence in tropical agroecosystems has been reported to positively impact soil productivity whilst successfully storing C on the short&amp;#8201;and long-term. In temperate systems, recent research showed limited to no effect on productivity following recent biochar addition to soils. Its long-term effects on productivity and nutrient cycling have, however, been overlooked yet are essential before the use of biochar can be generalized.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our study was set up in a conventionally cropped field, containing relict charcoal kiln sites used as a model for century old biochar (CoBC, ~220 years old). These sites were compared to soils amended with recently pyrolyzed biochar (YBC) and biochar free soils (REF) to study nutrient dynamics in the soil-water-plant system. Our research focused on soil chemical properties, crop nutrient uptake and soil solution nutrient concentrations. Crop plant samples were collected over three consecutive land occupations (chicory, winter wheat and a cover crop) and soil solutions gathered through the use of suctions cups inserted in different horizons of the studied Luvisol throughout the field.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our results showed that YBC mainly influenced the soil solution composition whereas CoBC mainly impacted the total and plant available soil nutrient content. In soils with YBC, our results showed lower nitrate and potassium concentrations in subsoil horizons, suggesting a decreased leaching, and higher phosphate concentrations in topsoil horizons. With time and the oxidation of biochar particles, our results reported higher total soil N, available K and Ca in the topsoil horizon when compared to REF, whereas available P was significantly smaller. Although significant changes occurred in terms of plant available nutrient contents and soil solution nutrient concentrations, this did not transcend in variations in crop productivity between soils for neither of the studied crops. Overall, our study highlights that young or aged biochar behave as two distinct products in terms of nutrient cycling in soils. As such the sustainability of these soils differ and their management must therefore evolve with time.&lt;/p&gt;


2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 1100-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Resende Corrêa ◽  
Carlos Ernesto G.R Schaefer ◽  
Vander de Freitas Melo ◽  
Kleberson Worslley de Souza ◽  
João Carlos Ker ◽  
...  

In prehistoric times, innumerous shell middens, called "sambaquis", consisting mainly of remains of marine organisms, were built along the Brazilian coast. Although the scientific community took interest in these anthropic formations, especially since the nineteenth century, their pedological context is still poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize and identify the physical and chemical changes induced by soil-forming processes, as well as to compare the morphology of shell midden soils with other, already described, anthropogenic soils of Brazil. Four soil profiles developed from shell middens in the Região dos Lagos - RJ were morphologically described and the physical and chemical properties determined. The chemical analysis showed that Ca, Mn, Mg, and particularly P and Zn are indicators of anthropic horizons of midden soils, as in the Amazon Dark Earths (Terras Pretas de Índio). After the deposition of P-rich material, P reaction and leaching can mask or disturb the evidence of in situ man-made strata, but mineralogical and chemical studies of phosphate forms can elucidate the apparent complexity. Lower phosphate-rich strata without direct anthropic inputs indicate P leaching and precipitation in secondary forms. The total and bioavailable contents of Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, Cu, P, and organic C of midden soils were much higher than of regional soils without influence of ancient human settlements, demonstrating that the high fertility persisted for long periods, at some sites for more than 4000 years. The physical analysis showed that wind-blown sand contributed significantly to increase the sand fraction in the analyzed soils (texture classes sand, sandy loam and sandy clay loam) and that the aeolian sand accumulation occurred simultaneously with the midden formation.


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