Addition Of Peat Research Articles

Effects of Soil Amendments and Fertilizer Levels on the Establishment of Silver Maple

In developing a landscape, establishment of woody ornamentals is a major concern. Most recommendations suggest the use of some form of soil amendment (4, 17). Others go so far as to recommend digging the planting hole a year in advance and filling it with leaves and organic matter to form a composted planting media (3). However, their recommendations are seldom referenced by research findings. The same is true for the addition of fertilizers. Some authors maintain fertilizer should not be applied to newly planted landscape material the first year. They state that it takes year for new feeder roots to develop (4, 5, 8). Other advocate the use of diluted solutions of soluble fertilizers, but fail to mention rate and frequency of application (6, 10, 17). Allison and Anderson (1), using sawdust for soil improvements, observed harmful effects on crop yields when sawdust was applied alone. It depleted nitrogen in the form of ammonia and nitrates. Rigby (8) used ground pine bark as a growing medium for container nursery stock. His results showed the newly planted material required additional nitrogen fertilizer for the first few months. Gartner, et. al., (11) worked with several species of plant material and various mixes of hardwood bark, soil and perlite. The decomposition of the bark in the mix caused a severe nitrogen deficiency that was not corrected by normal fertilization practices. Later studies by Gartner, Meyer and Saupe (12) demonstrated that a slow release fertilizer incorporated in bark-amended mixes prevented nitrogen deficiencies. Allison and Murphy (2) and Matkin (15) found that hardwoods decomposed at a faster rate than softwoods (40-50% in 60 days) and the hardwoods were attacked more readily by the microorganisms and consequently required more immediate nitrogen. In further studies with wood by-products, Viljoen and Fred (22) and Lunt (14) reported that there was no toxic effects on plants due to sawdust and woodchips. Joiner and Conover (13) found that shredded pine bark proved to be an accessible, inexpensive substitute for peat as the organic component of soil mixtures with sand for container-grown pittosporum. Salter and Williams (19) studied the moisture characteristics and crop yields from sandy loam soils amended with farmyard manure and peat. Yield differences between the peat and control plots were small and inconsistent. Feustal and Byers (9) studied the moisture absorbing and retaining capacities of peat-soil mixtures. They stated that moisture retention properties alone should not be the basis for incorporating peat with soil. They did not recommend it as a soil amendment. Pellet (16) found that the addition of peat, vermiculite or sawdust to the soils of central Minnesota resulted in no better growth of landscape plants than unamended soil. In agreement with Pellet, Townsend (21) used a 50% sandy loam soil and 50% peat mixture and tested the effects of soil amendments on the growth and productivity of highbush blueberries. The unamended control plot yielded larger plants and better fruit over a five year period than the peat amended soils. Smalley, Pritchett and Hammond (20) found similar results in experiments with bermudagrass putting greens. However, they found that the addition of vermiculite to a loamy fine sand putting-green soil increased yield significantly. It was not advantageous to

EFFECTS OF SOIL PROPERTIES AND AMENDMENTS ON THE AVAILABILITY OF ZINC IN SOILS

In a soil incubation experiment with different rates of Zn, the amounts of Zn extracted with 0.005 M DTPA, 1 M MgCl2, and 0.01 M CaCl2 increased with an increase in the organic matter content of a neutral sandy loam soil and with alfalfa added as an organic amendment. Addition of muck and peat increased the amount of Zn exchanged with 1 M MgCl2 but decreased the amount soluble in 0.01 M CaCl2, whereas addition of clay increased the amount of exchangeable Zn but decreased the amounts in the DTPA and 0.01 M CaCl2 extracts. Liming of an acid sandy loam soil (pH 4.9) to about the neutral point reduced the amounts of extractable Zn markedly. A pretreatment of the soils with phosphate almost invariably increased the amounts of extractable Zn. In a corresponding pot experiment, the highest rate of Zn (250 ppm) reduced the yield of corn slightly, prevented the growth of lettuce, and reduced the yield of alfalfa markedly when these crops were grown successively in the acid soil. The concentration of Zn reached levels of 792 ppm in the corn and 702 ppm in the alfalfa. Addition of 50 ppm Zn to the acid soil restricted the growth of lettuce and increased the concentration of Zn to 523 ppm. Despite discrepancies, the concentrations of Zn in the plants as influenced by soil organic matter, organic amendments and liming were usually in accord with the amounts of Zn extracted from the soils. But the P pretreatment tended to decrease the concentration of Zn in corn and lettuce. The mean weight concentrations of Zn in the three species were correlated significantly with the amounts of Zn extracted with 0.005 M DTPA (r = +0.73), 1 M MgCl2 (r = +0.93) and 0.01 M CaCl2 (r = +0.90).

The Effect of Bentonite on the Waste Compost Ripening: I. Effect on the Organic Matter Mineralization and on the Respiration

Basic mixture of waste products with small addition of peat was amended with: bentonite (Be), nutrient broth residues after antibiotica fermentation (FM), Be + FM. The results were checked to the non amended control. Heat production and CO 2 evolution were measured continuously. Bespiration test of the samples taken during the experiment was carried out. Bentonite decreased the mineralization rate of substrate during the entire incubation. It caused the increase of nitrogen demand and the increase of substrate stability indicated by the respirometric test. Some strange findings among the respirometric test values are discussed. Der Kontrollkompost (C o ) wurde aus Abfallstoffen mit einem kleinem Zusatz von Torf hergestellt. Andere Komposte wurden mit Bentonit (Be), mit dem Nährmedium nach der Antibiotikafermentierung (FM) und mit Be + FM angereichert. Kontinuierlich wurde die Temperatur und die CO 2 -Entwicklung gemessen. Der Atmungstest wurde mit den entnommenen Proben vollzogen. Bentonitzusatz verminderte die Substratmineralisierung während der ganzen Inkubationsdauer. Er verursachte eine Steigerung des Stickstoffbedarfs und eine Steigerung der Substratstabilität, beides wurde mit dem Atmungstest indiziert. Die unerwarteten Befunde unter den Ergebnissen des Atmungstestes werden diskutiert.

Influence of various organic materials on the recovery of molybdenum and copper added to a sandy clay loam soil

In most cases, the lowest percentage recoveries of added Mo and Cu were obtained after 0 weeks. The highest recoveries of Mo were found after 12 weeks except in the case of peat, where it was after 8 weeks; and of Cu after 4 to 12 weeks of incubation. The exch. Mo content of soil was lower when organic materials and Mo were added than from soil where only Mo was added. However, in the absence of added Mo, the exch. Mo content was higher in soils where O.M. was added. Addition of peat resulted in lowest quantities of exch. Mo. Exch. Cu was higher in the presence of added organic materials, with or without the addition of Cu, when compared with soils without added O.M. The largest quantities of exch. Cu were obtained where F.Y.M. was used as a source of O.M., with or without added Cu.

Acidification of a Forest Tree Nursery Soil

AbstractArtificial acidification of nursery soils for coniferous seedling production is being studied on soils which have become alkaline through continuous use. Three methods of acidification are being examined, acidification of the irrigation water, incorporation of acid peat, and incorporation of powdered S. The experimental work is being done on red pine (Pinus resinosa, Ait.) seedbeds used for production of 3‐0 shipping stock. The experiment is in three sections, starting in consecutive years, each running for three years in the nursery, and providing trees for observations in the laboratory and after outplanting. Acidification of the irrigation water, to pH 6.0 by automatic injection of H2SO4 has shown no measurable effect on soil pH or seedlings. Addition of acid peat, 60 cubic yards per acre, at about pH 5.0, showed some reduction in soil pH but not to the level desired, and no effect was determined on the seedlings. Addition of powdered S at 750, 1,500 and 2,250 pounds per acre has been most effective. The soil pH has been reduced proportionately, with that of the heaviest treatment to about pH 5.0, with some fluctuation, and the effect has not diminished after more than three years. The S treatment of 2,250 pounds caused mortality in the seedbeds, whereas the lesser treatments caused an increase in survival. Sulphur addition also resulted in taller, thicker, heavier seedlings with the first level causing a large increase, the second a minor (plateau effect), and the high level a large increase again. Information on the planting success of the seedlings is not yet available.

De invloed van het toevoegen van organisch materiaal aan de grond op het optreden vanRhizoctonia-ziekte en schurft bij aardrappelen

In pot-and field trials organic material and/orTrichoderma were added to difrerent soils, most of which were infested withRhizoctonia. At different times after the addition potato tubers were planted, in order to investigate if a reduction of sclerotia on the crop could be obtained. Little effect resulted from the addition of peat, wheat-straw orTrichoderma. After addition of 20 g corn-meal to 1 kg of soil, in most instances combined withTrichoderma, the following effects were obtained: 1. fewer weeds, 2. delayed appearance of the sprouts, 3. fewer (though in a single case more) sclerotia on the crop, 4. less scab, and 5. increased yield (cf. table 1). The variable, results may be attributed to differences in soil and to many factors influencing the interaction between plants and micro-organisms in the soil. Further research is desirable.

Effect of Liming and Organic Matter Content on the Availability of Native and Applied Manganese

AbstractA large amount of the soluble Mn added to soils was rapidly converted to nonexchangeable forms in both incubation and field studies. The addition of lime further decreased the amount of exchangeable Mn (NH4OAc‐extracted). The acid‐extractable Mn content of the soil showed no decrease at the end of 3 weeks' incubation but did after 6 weeks' incubation.The moisture content of the sample previous to extraction had an effect on the exchangeable Mn content. Less exchangeable Mn was extracted when the soil was kept moist after the sample had been taken than when it was first air‐dried. This effect was most pronounced on a high organic matter soil which had been limed.The addition of peat to a low organic matter soil increased the exchangeable Mn conent of the acid soil when maintained in a moist condition. The peat caused a decrease in the acid‐extractable Mn in the limed soil.

VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF CONIFERS: X. EFFECTS OF SEASON OF COLLECTION AND PROPAGATION MEDIA ON THE ROOTING OF NORWAY SPRUCE CUTTINGS

Twenty-four collections of Norway spruce cuttings were taken, seven about the time new growth was forming, six at semimonthly intervals rom July to September, four during October, and seven at monthly intervals during the winter to April, and were propagated in outdoor frames in several media. The proportion of cuttings rooting in sand was low for the summer collections but reached 80% or higher for collections made in September and October. The addition of sedge peat effected rooting of 90% in collections taken throughout summer and autumn, and increased the number of roots, length of root, and the development of new growth. Sphagnum peat added to the sand was also slightly beneficial but, for propagation, much inferior in effect to the sedge type of peat. Varying the proportion of peat or the texture of the sand had no significant effect except on the length of root, which was greater in those media rich in peat. Cuttings stored over winter or taken in spring did not respond well.