Integrated Application of Inorganic and Organic Fertilizer Enhances Soil Organo-Mineral Associations and Nutrients in Tea Garden Soil

Abstract

Soil quality is one of the main factors that affect the growth and quality of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plantations. The formation of the organo-mineral complex is one of the critical factors that influence the evolution of soil fertility. This study used chemical analyses and spectroscopy to study the effects of inorganic and organic fertilizer on the soil nutrients and organo-mineral complex in tea garden soil. SR-FTIR analysis revealed that clay minerals were connected as nuclei with the capacity to bind carbon, and that this interaction was aided by organic fertilization. Specifically, the O-H has the quickest reaction to aliphatic-C, next by Si-O, Fe-O, and Al-O in OM70. The soil pH of organic and inorganic fertilization treatments are obviously lower than the no fertilization (CK) treatment. Furthermore, OM70 and OM100 had notably higher pH values in fertilized soil. Organic fertilization (OM70) treatment significantly increased Soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorous, potassium (AP, AK), as well as the concentration of total and exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ in soils when compared to no fertilization (CK) and inorganic fertilization (NPK). Together, these results can provide the scientific theoretical basis for the study on the understanding of the sequestration of SOM and confirmed the feasibility of organic fertilization in improving soil fertility and supporting organo-mineral interactions, thereby making a contribution to carbon storage in tea plantation ecosystems.