In a
three-year study carried out at the Debrecen-Pallagi nursery of the University
of Debrecen, the nutrient contents, humus content and pH of the soil were
determined in integrated and organic apple orchards established on brown forest
soil with thin interstratified layers of colloid and sesquioxide accumulation.
The organic orchard was only given organic manure (50 t/ha) in spring 2000 and
2002, while the integrated orchard was treated with 250 kg/ha complex NPK
fertilizer (16.5-16.5-16.5) every year between 1997 and 2003 after the leaves
had fallen. An additional 50 kg/ha N active agent as NH
4
NO
3
was applied every year, while 4 t/ha lime fertilizer (carbonation mud) was
provided in autumn 2002 and 25 t/ha organic manure in November 2003. In 2004 no
fertilizer was given to either orchard. The available forms of N (NO
3-
,
NH
4+
, organic N and total N) and P (ortho-, organic and
total-PO
43-
) were determined after extraction with 0.01
M
CaCl
2
, while the Ca, Mg and microelement (Mn, Cu, Zn) content of the
soil was extracted with NH
4
-acetate +EDTA (Lakanen-Erviö
extractant). Potassium was measured in both extractants. The results showed
that the inorganic, organic and total soluble
nitrogen
in the soil were
significantly higher (P = 0.05) in the integrated orchard than in the organic
one. It was found that the quantity and ratio of the organic N fraction was
comparable with that of the inorganic N forms. The ortho-
phosphate
and
total P fractions were significantly higher (P = 0.05) in the integrated apple
orchard than in the organic orchard, while there was no significant difference
in the organic P quantity. The
potassium
data showed that both the
integrated and organic orchards contained a satisfactory amount of adsorbed K
in spite of the poor colloid content and high soil acidity. The Ca, Mg, Co and
Zn contents of the integrated soils were significantly higher (P = 0.05) than
in the organic orchard. For Mn, however, no substantial difference was found
between the integrated and organic orchards. With the exception of Mn, the
nutrient concentrations reflected the differences in the nutrient management of
the integrated and organic apple orchards.
The effects of organic manure and chemical fertilizer on the growth and nutrient concentrations of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipiferaLin.) in a nursery system
