Abstract
Organic matter plays an important role in the nutrient recycling that helps improve the soil physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. This study looks at the characteristics of the two taro soils as affected by the application of four organic amendments used as treatments (Biochar, Mucuna, Erythrina, and grass). The effects of nutrients released from these four treatments were analyzed in the soil laboratory using various soil tests such as Labile Carbon, Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis activity, Potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN), Mineral nitrogen, Urease assay, and Phosphatase assay. The results showed that Erythrina and Mucuna are the two cover crops that significantly responded to the two soils. In terms of carbon mineralization, Mucuna and Erythrina fallow mulches had higher means compared to grass and biochar. The difference in the carbon mineralization could be attributed to the characteristics of Mucuna and Erythrina are both legume mulches which have lower C: N ratio. Therefore, they have faster rates of mineralization compared to grass and biochar fallows. However, at the highest rate of application (45 tons/ha), Mucuna was found to have faster rate of mineralization compared to Erythrina. From the other tests that were being carried out, Grass and Erythrina cover crops showed the highest levels of mean biological activity at their highest rate of application (45 tons/ha) on both soils. Mucuna and biochar covers, on the other hand, showed highest levels of mean biological activity at the lowest rate of application (15 tons/ha).
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