The relationship Between Soil Chemical Properties and Uptake of Tea Plant Nutrient in PTPN VI Jambi

Healthy soil could support plant growth by optimizing the availability of nutrients. The availability of nutrients influences the health of tea plants. Nutrient deficiencies would affect the plant physiology that exhibits the plant withering. This study aimed to define the relationship between soil nutrient availability with plant nutrient uptake. This research was conducted by managing secondary data soil chemical properties, and tea plant nutrients analyzed statistically with Pearson correlation. This study only found a significant correlation between soil pH with P and Mg uptake. Correlation results between soil nutrient and plant nutrient uptake obtained a significantly negative correlation on soil pH with P and Mg nutrients with a correlation value of pH-P (r=-0.52), pH-Mg (r=-0.52). There was no correlation between other soil nutrients and plant nutrient uptake. The results of this study can be used to determine the dose of fertilization and the management recommendation of tea plants.

Comparing Biochar-Swine Manure Mixture to Conventional Manure Impact on Soil Nutrient Availability and Plant Uptake – A Greenhouse Study

The use of swine manure as a source of plant nutrients is one alternative to synthetic fertilizers. However, conventional manure application with >90% water and a low C:N ratio results in soil C loss to the atmosphere. Our hypothesis was to use biochar as a manure nutrient stabilizer that would slowly release nutrients to plants upon biochar-swine manure mixture application to soil. The objectives were to evaluate the impact of biochar-treated swine manure on soil total C, N, and plant-available macro and micronutrients in greenhouse-cultivated corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Neutral pH red oak (RO), highly alkaline autothermal corn stover (HAP), and mild acidic Fe-treated autothermal corn stover (HAPE) biomass were pyrolyzed to prepare biochars. Each biochar was surface-applied to swine manure at a 1:4 (wt/wt) ratio to generate mixtures of manure and respective biochars (MRO, MHAP, and MHAPE). Conventional manure (M) control and manure-biochar mixtures were then applied to the soil at a recommended rate. Corn and soybean were grown under these controls and treatments (S, M, MRO, MHAP, and MHAPE) to evaluate the manure-biochar impact on soil quality, plant biomass yield, and nutrient uptake. Soil OM significantly (<0.05) increased in all manure-biochar treatments; however, no change in soil pH or N was observed under any treatment. No difference in soil ammonium between treatments was identified. An increase (p<0.05) in soil nitrate under corn was observed for conventional manure (M) treatment. There was a significant decrease in soil M3-P for all manure-biochar treatments compared to the conventional M, but that did not impact plant nutrient uptake. No statistical difference in corn or soybean biomass yield or plant nutrient uptake was observed in the short, two-month experiment. Interestingly, manure-biochar application to soil significantly diluted the M3-extractable soil Cu and Zn concentrations. The results attribute that manure-biochar has the potential to be a better soil amendment than conventional manure application to the soil.