Long Term Manuring and Fertilization Effect on Soil Properties in Terrace Soil

Abstract

The study was carried out the influence of long term manuring and fertilization on soil properties. Soil samples were collected in 2016 from a highly weathered terrace soil with rice-wheat cropping pattern at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) experimental farm having five OM (control, cow dung, green manure, rice straw and compost) treatments combined with three mineral N fertilizer (control, 155 kg ha-1, 220 kg ha-1) levels. Long term (28 years) application of mineral fertilizers and manure resulted in significant differences in soil organic carbon, total N content, C:N ratio of soil and soil pHKCl between the treatments. The soil organic carbon content varied among the different treatments from 6.11 g OC kg-1 (application of rice straw and no N) to 9.43 g OC kg-1 (application of compost and 220 kg N ha-1 yr-1). The total soil N content varied among the different treatments from 0.41 g N kg-1 (application of rice straw and no N) to 0.73 g N kg-1 (application of compost and 220 kg N ha-1 yr-1). The C:N ratios of the soil varied among the different treatments from 13.3 (application of no exogenous OM and no N) to 15.1(application of green manure and no N). The soil pH varied among the different treatments from 4.42 (application of cow dung and 220 kg N ha-1 yr-) to 4.89 (application of compost/cow dung and no N). So, long term fertilization and manuring undoubtedly bring some changes in the physiochemical soil properties of terrace soil.