Assessment of soil chemical properties through application of fresh aquatic weeds

Abstract

Soils from Bajoa soil series (Typic endoequepts) were placed in pots for aquatic weeds application and to analyze chemical parameters (pH, EC, N, P, K, S, organic matter) of the treated soil. Three aquatic weeds were selected; those are Water hyacinth (Eichhomia crassipes), Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and Water spinach (Ipomea aquatica). All the chemical properties were found improved for the treatment T3 (water spinach; 3000kg hac-1) and T4 (water spinach; 2000 kg hac-1) and most of the attributes were found as minimum for control. The macro nutrients such as N, P, K, S, are improved in the soil by the application of aquatic weeds as green manure because green manure plant creates more acidic condition which extracts more nutrients from fixed position in soil to bio-available form by root exudation.