Abstract
This study aimed to identify the effects of oxidized brown coal humic acid fertilizer on the relative growth rate of several tree species intended for reforestation. Field experiments were carried out during 2011–2014 at the Research and Experimental Center for Combating Desertification located at the Elsen Tasarkhai station in central Mongolia. The trees studied were Populus sibirica Tausch., Salix ledebouriana Trautv., and Acer tataricum L. The experiment was conducted with concentrations of 2000, 10,000, and 20,000 mg L−1 of humic acid fertilization treatment. Measurement of the relative height growth rate (RHGR) was undertaken for a period of four years. The results demonstrated significant differences between the humic fertilizer concentrations, which varied depending on the species. Compared to monthly RHGR over the study period, the treatment using fertilizers yielded significantly better tree growth. P. sibirica, when treated with 2000 mg L−1 and 10,000 mg L−1 humic acid fertilizers, had significant height growth rates. S. ledebouriana with 20,000 mg L−1 of humic acid fertilzers treatments showed the highest RHGR. In addition, when the humic acid treatments were compared to the control, results showed that oxidized brown coal humic acid fertilizers as an organic fertilizer can have a significant effect on the growth of A. tataricum. The results equally showed that the soil chemical properties EC, CO2, NO3, and K2O were significant among all the treatments compared to control. The effect on P2O5 significantly increased in all the treatments; however, there was no significant effect on pH and Mg among all treatments. Combining the results obtained with reforestation and sustainable land-management practices can help to improve soil organics in degraded sandy soil regions.
Highlights
Scientific research has established that organic matter plays an important role in controlling the physiochemical properties of soils [1,2]
The findings from this study suggest that humic acid fertilizer concentrations had a significant effect on all growth traits with the treatments of HA20, HA10, HA0.2, and HA0
A. tataricum decreased over the years to an extent that significantly influenced
Summary
Scientific research has established that organic matter plays an important role in controlling the physiochemical properties of soils [1,2]. There is an increase in the quantity of humic-based products available to plant growers. These have various sources, ranging from hard black coal that is composted with plant matter and manure. Forests 2018, 9, 360 to complex and richer humic sources such as brown coal, peat, and leonardite [4,6,7]. Leonardite is a medium-brown coal that contains the most complex and bio-active form of humic components [8]. Humic substances (HS) are the major organic components of the Earth’s soils and sediments that were created from decayed bio matter by a process called humification [1]. With the aid of millions of micro-organisms, the simple products of decomposition like amino acids, carbohydrates and phenols turn into very complex, long-chain organic compounds with high molecular weight called humic acids (HA) that are derived from vegetation
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