Effect of Gérce alginit on the fertility of an acid sandy soil

Abstract

The effect of alginit on the soil and on triticale was studied over three years, from 2012 to 2014, in a long-term field experiment set up on acidic sandy soil in Nyirlugos 53 years ago. A 100 t•ha-1 rate of alginit was applied in autumn 2011 on plots given 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg•ha-1•year-1 N. The originally 5 x 10 = 50 m2 plots were halved, and the halves without alginit treatment served as controls. The 4N + 4N (with alginit) = 8 treatments × 4 replications = 32 plots. The main results are as follows: 1. Physical soil measurements showed that alginit treatment had no effect on the total porosity or water capacity of the soil. The field capacity increased by 4.4% on average, but this was not significant. The saturation percentage (KA according to Arany) rose significantly from 30.2 to 31.6. 2. On alginit-treated plots the pH(KCl) increased from 3.9 to 6.2, CEC from 1.3 to 3.6, EC from 21 to 67 ms/cm and base saturation from 53% to 74%, while the hydrolytic acidity decreased from 10 to 6 after the first year. 3. NH4-acetate + EDTA-soluble Ca increased from 154 to 730, K2O from 50 to 62, Mg from 18 to 104, Sr from 0.9 to 4.4 mg•kg-1 and Ni from 125 to 330 μ g•kg-1 on the alginit-treated plots. 4. The straw and grain yield of triticale increased in all three years. Alginit treatment generally doubled the yields, especially on plots treated with 150 kg•ha-1•year-1 N, which became acidified and impoverished in Ca, Mg, K and P. 5. Alginit treatment increased the Mg, Mo and Cd uptake and reduced that of Mn, Zn and Ba by triticale seeds. The Ca, Mg, S and Mo concentrations increased in the straw, while the incorporation of Mn, Zn, Ba, Cu, Ni and Co was inhibited by alginit. 6. Alginit is a suitable mineral for the amelioration of similar acid sands, which may eliminate the acidity caused by excessive N supplies and improve the water holding capacity, colloidal and nutrient status and drought-tolerance, and thus their fertility.