Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the changes in nutrient level P as well as in the structural and functional groups upon the decomposition of Hemic and Sapric peat material due to application of lime and fertilizers. The peat materials were left to decompose for 8 weeks under laboratory incubation and samples were taken for the determination of extractable P at 1 week interval. At 8 weeks, samples were sent for FTIR and SEM analysis. Although both types of peat material exhibit similar patterns in the mineralization of phosphorus, however, the amount of extractable phosphorus between Hemic and Sapric during the decomposition process differed. Addition of fertilizer (T3) resulted in a significantly large increase in extractable P compared to T1 and T2 but the effect was temporal as the extractable P declined throughout the incubation period. Sapric material displayed more absorption bands from the FTIR spectral analysis compared to Hemic although there were few similarities between the bands produced. Application of fertilizer in T3 caused the peaks that were similar with other treatments became weaker and different functional groups were shown at lower frequencies. Images from SEM showed that addition of lime and fertilizers caused the collapsing and degradation of the plant cell structures in the organic materials of the peat justifying the process of decomposition had occurred. Hemic and Sapric peat material showed some similarities as well as differences in extractable P, plant cell structures and spectral bands upon the application of lime and fertilizers.
Highlights
In Malaysia, there are as much as 2.4 million hectares fertility of the peat soil is often being questioned and of peat where major portions of the hectarage of about pose challenges for agronomists and farmers to
The unrubbed fibre in Hemic material was higher in contrast to Sapric which corroborate with the criteria mentioned in SSS (1975)
The colour in Sapric material as indicated by the munsell notation has a higher value of 3/4 and is much darker than Hemic material which indicated a value of 7/4. This result was found to be similar with the characterstics determined using Von Post Scale of humification where the scale for well decomposed Sapric material was higher compared to Hemic
Summary
In Malaysia, there are as much as 2.4 million hectares fertility of the peat soil is often being questioned and of peat where major portions of the hectarage of about pose challenges for agronomists and farmers to. Ameera Abdul Reeza et al / American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences 9 (3): 321-333, 2014 agricultural activities (Strack, 2008). This has led to the rising attention in nutrient management as to achieve optimum produce in these organic soils. In order for agriculture to commence in peat soils, it is prerequisite to add lime and fertilizer as to alleviate the high acidity and to correct the imbalance nutritional disorder (Andriesse, 1988). Previous reports by Yli-Halla and Lumme (1987) discovered that liming may reduce the solubility and the availability of P in peat soils. Liming can stimulate mineralization of organic P releasing inorganic P, it can cause precipitation of insoluble calcium phosphates that reduces the availability of P at high pH values (Haynes, 1982)
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