EVALUATION EFFICIENCY OF SULPHUR FERTILIZER IN CALCAREOUS SOIL AMENDED BY COMPOST

Abstract

A pots experiment was carried out at greenhouse of Soil Sci., Dept., Fac., of Agric., Menoufia Univ., Egypt to study the effect of individual and combined applications of compost and S as soil amendments on calcareous sandy soil properties and its content of available macro and micronutrients barley plants (Hordeum Vulgare L.)growth and its content of macro and micronutrient and agronomical efficiency (AE) of the tested soil amendments. Compost was added at rates of 0, 1 and 2 %, where S was added as elemental S at rates of 0, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg. The dry matter yield of barley plants harvested after 70 days of planting and its content of macro and micronutrients were determined. Also, chemical properties of the tested soil and its content of available macro and micronutrients after planting harvesting were determined. Increasing application rates of compost and S individually and together resulted in a decrease of calcareous soil pH, EC (dS m-1) and its content (%) of CaCO3, while were associated by an increase soil OM (%), CEC (meq/100 g) and its content (mg/kg) of available N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu. The high relative changes “RC” (%) of the studied soil properties were associated the combined treatments of compost and S especially at high application rates. Dry matter yield of barley plants and its content of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu were increase with the increases of added compost and S individually and together. Agronomical efficiency (AE) of both compost and S under calcareous sandy soil conditions were increased in their combined application treatments. So, these results concluded that, to improve the properties of calcareous sandy soil and increased its fertility and productivity must be treated by compost and S together.