Abstract
Soil quality has become an important issue in soil science. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is believed to play an important role in soil processes and in the C, N and P balances, their supplies to plants in all types of soils. It is much more sensitive to soil management than is soil organic matter as a whole, and can be used as a key indicator of soil natural functions. This study aimed to assess the influence of different organic fertilizers on DOC and N, P accumulation. The study was carried out on a moraine loam soil at the Vezaiciai Branch of Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry in 2012. Farmyard manure (FYM) (60 t ha -1 ) and alternative organic fertilizers (wheat straw, rape residues, roots, stubble, perennial grasses) were applied on two soil backgrounds - acid and limed. DOC was analysed using an ion chromatograph SKALAR. Application of organic amendments resulted in a significant increase of soil organic carbon (SOC) content, which demonstrates a positive role of organic fertilizers in SOC conservation. The combination of different organic fertilizers and liming had a significant positive effect on DOC concentration in the soil. The highest DOC content (0.241 g kg -1 ) was established in the limed soil fertilized with farmyard manure. The most unfavourable status of DOC was determined in the unlimed, unfertilized soil. The limed and FYM-applied soil had the highest nitrogen (1.47 g kg -1 ) and phosphorus (0.84 g kg -1 ) content compared to the other treatments. Organic fertilizers gave a significant positive effect on SOC and DOC content increase in the topsoil. This immediate increase is generally attributed to the presence of soluble materials in the amendments. Application of organic fertilizers in acid and limed soil increased the nutrient stocks and ensured soil chemical indicators at the optimal level for plant growth and thus may provide a mechanism as well as prediction opportunities for soil fertility, conservation, sustainability, and protection against degradation.
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