Abstract
Desert soil is one of the most severe conditions which negatively affect the environment and crop growth production in arid land. The application of organic amendments with inorganic fertilizers is an economically viable and environmentally comprehensive method to develop sustainable agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess whether milk tea waste (TW) amendment combined with chemical fertilizer (F) application can be used to improve the biochemical properties of sandy soil and wheat growth. The treatments included control without amendment (T1), chemical fertilizers (T2), TW 2.5% + F (T3), TW 5% + F (T4) and TW 10% + F (T5). The results showed that the highest chlorophyll (a and b) and carotenoids, shoot and root dry biomass, and leaf area index (LAI) were significantly (p < 0.05) improved with all amendment treatments. However, the highest root total length, root surface area, root volume and diameter were recorded for T4 among all treatments. The greater uptake of N, P, and K contents for T4 increased for the shoot by 68.9, 58.3, and 57.1%, and for the root by 65.7, 34.3, and 47.4% compared to the control, respectively. Compared with the control, T5 treatment decreased the soil pH significantly (p < 0.05) and increased soil enzyme activities such as urease (95.2%), β-glucosidase (81.6%) and dehydrogenase (97.2%), followed by T4, T3, and T2. Our findings suggested that the integrated use of milk tea waste and chemical fertilizers is a suitable amendment method for improving the growth and soil fertility status of sandy soils.
Highlights
The continuous increase of the global population puts great pressure on the environment and food production
Our results showed that milk tea waste had significantly positive effects on wheat growth and root traits during the eight weeks period for the tested sandy soil
This study emphasizes the practical usage of milk tea waste (TW) combined with chemical fertilizer as a soil nutrient source for better wheat growth, root traits, and soil biochemical properties within sandy soil
Summary
The continuous increase of the global population puts great pressure on the environment and food production. Food for future generations will put a strain on soil and water resource security in the coming decades [1]. China has the world’s largest population, with approximately 25% of the world’s population [2]. To maintain the food demand of a continually increasing population trend in China, as well as throughout the world, the usage of a high rate of fertilizers for high crop production and additional soil resources need to be accepted and employed. A previous study [3] established that the soils of arid regions are considered as having low water, carbon, and nutrient contents [4]. Soil sandification is a serious issue due to the increasing rate
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