Use Of Soil Amendments Research Articles

Can gypsum and organic amendments achieve sustainability, productivity and maintain soil health under soybean-mustard cropping in sodic soils of western India

Soil salinity is a major environment stress impairing crop production and accelerating soil degradation. Use of soil amendments are practical solutions for altering soil quality to enhance crop productivity in these soils. Hence, we systematically evaluated the impact of soil amendments practices on crop productivity, nutrient use efficiency, soil properties, soil quality index, economics and energetics on soybean-mustard cropping system in sodic Vertisol. In this study, eight treatments comprising of various combinations of soil amendments such as gypsum (@2.5 t ha−1), farmyard manure (FYM@10 t ha−1), crop residue (CR@1.5 t ha−1 of soybean residue during rabi and 3 t ha−1 of mustard residue during kharif season) with recommended fertilizer doses (RNPK) was evaluated in randomized block design with three replications for four consecutive years in soybean-mustard cropping sequences (2016–2019). Results demonstrated that application of gypsum with CR and FYM recorded a significant drop in exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) (45–48 %), and bulk density (BD) (3–6 %) than that of control. Organic amendment in conjunction with gypsum and chemical fertilizer significantly improved soil chemical, physical and biological properties than that under control and inorganic fertilizer alone treatments. Based on principal component analysis and correlation matrix, minimum data set identified ESP, pH, BD, organic carbon, available nutrients, biomass carbon, calcium content, dehydrogenase as the most important properties controlling soil quality. Integration of RNPK+Gypsum+CR and RNPK+Gypsum+FYM are found superior leading to higher crop yield in soybean (1.23 and 1.21 Mg ha−1 respectively), mustard (1.43 and 1.39 Mg ha−1 respectively), better nutrient recovery efficiency (77 and 53 % respectively), improved soil quality index (0.90 and 0.93 respectively), and higher economic return (benefit: cost ratio-2.88 and 2.1 respectively).Therefore, this study findings highlighted the conjunctive use of gypsum with organic amendments is effective in reclaiming salt stress, improving soil health and crop productivity under oilseed cropping sequence in degraded soils of semi-arid tropics.

Improvement of Ultisol Fertility and Sorghum Yield by Applying Soil Amendments, NPK, and Eco enzymes to Support Food Diversification

The increase in world population must be accompanied by the increase of food production. Diversification of food is also needed to support a healthy and productive world community. Increasing food diversification is conducted by increasing soil fertility. Improvement of soil fertility was carried out by using soil amendments and NPK fertilization, as well as using eco enzymes on sorghum on Ultisol soil. This study was using factorial RBD design split-split plot 3 × 2 × 2 with three replications and 108 pots with 10 kg Ultisol pot-1. The main plot consisted of soil amendments (no amendment, biochar, compost), sub-plots, NPK (600, 900 kg ha-1), split-split plot, eco enzyme (sprayed eco enzyme once week-1 and every two weeks sprayed). The results showed that there were interactions between soil amendments and eco enzymes on soil pH and NPK. There is an interaction between NPK and eco enzymes on soil pH, soil EC, and sorghum leaf chlorophyll. There is an interaction between soil amendments, NPK, and eco enzymes on N, P, and K content and yield potential. The use of soil amendments, NPK, and eco enzymes effectively improves Ultisol fertility and sorghum yields to support food diversification.

Directing the Apple Rhizobiome toward Resiliency Post-Fumigation

Currently, there are no standard management practices to counteract the adverse effects of fumigation on the soil microbiome. In this study, a variety of pre-plant soil amendments were examined for their ability to recruit and maintain apple rhizosphere microbiomes that are suppressive to pathogen re-infestation of fumigated orchard soils. The capacity of these amendments to improve other characteristics of soil productivity was also evaluated. Results suggest that composted chicken manure and liquid chitin are likely to be detrimental to plant and soil health when used as a post-fumigation soil amendment. In comparison, insect frass (IF) resulted in a significant increase in tree trunk diameter relative to the fumigated control. Following pathogen re-infestation of fumigated soil, however, IF induced a significant increase in Pythium ultimum in the rhizosphere. Therefore, IF can benefit the growth of young apple trees in fumigated soil but may stimulate pathogen activity upon re-infestation. To date, the possibility of using soil amendments to suppress pathogen re-infestation of fumigated soils has not been tested. Results from this study ground support the use of soil amendments as an intervention strategy for “steering” the soil and rhizosphere microbiome in more beneficial and/or prophylactic directions following fumigation.

Cannabis Hunger Games: nutrient stress induction in flowering stage - impact of organic and mineral fertilizer levels on biomass, cannabidiol (CBD) yield and nutrient use efficiency.

Indoor medicinal cannabis cultivation systems enable year-round cultivation and better control of growing factors, however, such systems are energy and resource intensive. Nutrient deprivation during flowering can trigger nutrient translocation and modulate the production of cannabinoids, which might increase agronomic nutrient use efficiency, and thus, a more sustainable use of fertilizers. This experiment compares two fertilizer types (mineral and organic) applied in three dilutions (80, 160 and 240 mg N L-1) to evaluate the effect of nutrient deprivation during flowering on biomass, Cannabidiol (CBD) yield and nutrient use efficiency of N, P and K. This is the first study showing the potential to reduce fertilizer input while maintaining CBD yield of medicinal cannabis. Under nutrient stress, inflorescence yield was significantly lower at the final harvest, however, this was compensated by a higher CBD concentration, resulting in 95% of CBD yield using one-third less fertilizer. The higher nutrient use efficiency of N, P, and K in nutrient-deprived plants was achieved by a larger mobilization and translocation of nutrients increasing the utilization efficiency of acquired nutrients. The agronomic nutrient use efficiency of CBD yield - for N and K - increased 34% for the organic fertilizers and 72% for the mineral fertilizers comparing the dilution with one-third less nutrients (160) with the highest nutrient concentration (240). Differences in CBD yield between fertilizer types occurred only at the final harvest indicating limitations in nutrient uptake due to nutrient forms in the organic fertilizer. Our results showed a lower acquisition and utilization efficiency for the organic fertilizer, proposing the necessity to improve either the timing of bio-availability of organic fertilizers or the use of soil amendments.

Improving basil productivity in coastal sandy soil Yogyakarta by balanced Urea-ZA (N-S) fertilizers and application of soil amendment to increase fertilization effectiveness

Basil is a plant that can be cultivated in Psamment (coastal sandy soil). Basil requires nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S), so the N-S balance is needed to obtain optimal results. Psamment contains low colloid, causing nutrients to be barely bound and easily lost. Zeolite and biochar can be a solution. This study aimed to determine the composition and frequency of fertilization, as well as the use of soil amendment for basil growth. This research consisted of two interrelated studies arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design. The research was conducted in Bugel, Panjatan, Kulon Progo, and the analysis was performed at the Soil Department Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada. The first study consisted of two factors, namely Urea-ZA composition (0:0, 60:40, 70:30, 80:20, 90:10, and 100:0) and frequency of fertilization (every 1 and 2 weeks). The application of Urea-ZA (80:20) gave the best fresh-dry weight, N-S content, and N-S uptake of basil, and this result was used as the reference for the second study. The second study consisted of two factors, namely Urea-ZA fertilizer doses (50%, 75%, and 100%), and types and doses of soil amendment (without amendment, zeolite 7.5 t/ha, zeolite 15 t/ha; biochar 7.5 t/ha, and biochar 15 t/ha). It can be concluded that soil amendments application improved the chemical properties of psamment, fresh-dry weight, N-S content, and N-S uptake of basil. Furthermore, biochar and zeolite could increase the effectiveness of fertilization, so the dose of Urea-ZA fertilizer could be reduced until 50%.

Effects of Soil Amendments on the Bacterial Diversity and Abundances of Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Rhizosphere Soil Under Drip Irrigation with Reclaimed Water

Due to reclaimed water, irrigation can cause human health and environmental risks. Soil amendments are applied to reveal the abundance of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes in rhizosphere soil irrigated by reclaimed water and to better understand the effects of environmental factors on the rhizosphere soil bacterial composition, which has guiding significance for the reasonable use of soil amendments. In this study, the effects of biochar, bioorganic fertilizer, humic acid, loosening soil essence, and corn vinasse on bacterial community diversity and certain gene abundances in rhizosphere soil under drip irrigation with reclaimed water were studied using high-throughput assays and quantitative PCR. The results showed that biochar significantly increased pH, organic matter, and total nitrogen contents in the rhizosphere soil. The corn vinasse significantly decreased soil pH and increased the contents of total nitrogen and total phosphorus but significantly increased the soil EC value (P<0.05). The effects of the five soil amendments on the α-diversity of rhizosphere bacteria were not significantly different. The bacterial community structure and diversity of rhizosphere bacteria were similar at different taxonomic levels, but their relative abundance was different. α-Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria, Bacteroidia, Actinobacteria, Acidimicrobiia, and Anaerolineae were the dominant bacteria in all treatments. The dominant genera consisted of Pseudomonas, Sphingobium, Sphingomonas, Cellvibrio, Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, Flavobacterium, and Algoriphagus (relative abundance>1%). Correlation analysis of environmental factors showed that the composition of the rhizosphere bacterial community was strongly correlated with pH, EC, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus content. The abundances of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes were 103-107 copies·g-1 and 104-108 copies·g-1, respectively. There were significant differences in the detection levels of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes. Bioorganic fertilizer, loosening soil essence, and corn vinasse significantly increased the abundances of some antibiotic resistance genes, whereas humic acid and corn vinasse significantly decreased the abundances of Pseudomonas syringae, Ralstonia solanacearum, and total coliforms (P<0.05). A significant correlation was found between pathogens (Arcobacter, Bacillus cereus, Pantoea agglomerans, and Fecal bacteroidetes) and antibiotic resistance genes (tetA, tetB, tetO, tetQ, sul1, ermB, and ermC). In conclusion, while monitoring pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes in the agricultural environment under reclaimed water irrigation, attention should be paid to the rational application of soil amendments to avoid exacerbating the spread of biological contamination.

From Soil Amendments to Controlling Autophagy: Supporting Plant Metabolism under Conditions of Water Shortage and Salinity.

Crop resistance to environmental stress is a major issue. The globally increasing land degradation and desertification enhance the demand on management practices to balance both food and environmental objectives, including strategies that tighten nutrient cycles and maintain yields. Agriculture needs to provide, among other things, future additional ecosystem services, such as water quantity and quality, runoff control, soil fertility maintenance, carbon storage, climate regulation, and biodiversity. Numerous research projects have focused on the food–soil–climate nexus, and results were summarized in several reviews during the last decades. Based on this impressive piece of information, we have selected only a few aspects with the intention of studying plant–soil interactions and methods for optimization. In the short term, the use of soil amendments is currently attracting great interest to cover the current demand in agriculture. We will discuss the impact of biochar at water shortage, and plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) at improving nutrient supply to plants. In this review, our focus is on the interplay of both soil amendments on primary reactions of photosynthesis, plant growth conditions, and signaling during adaptation to environmental stress. Moreover, we aim at providing a general overview of how dehydration and salinity affect signaling in cells. With the use of the example of abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene, we discuss the effects that can be observed when biochar and PGPB are used in the presence of stress. The stress response of plants is a multifactorial trait. Nevertheless, we will show that plants follow a general concept to adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions in the short and long term. However, plant species differ in the upper and lower regulatory limits of gene expression. Therefore, the presented data may help in the identification of traits for future breeding of stress-resistant crops. One target for breeding could be the removal and efficient recycling of damaged as well as needless compounds and structures. Furthermore, in this context, we will show that autophagy can be a useful goal of breeding measures, since the recycling of building blocks helps the cells to overcome a period of imbalanced substrate supply during stress adjustment.

Chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter in cadmium-contaminated paddy soil amended with different materials

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in soil is a key factor affecting the bioavailability of heavy metals, but very few studies have focused on the role of DOM in the use of soil amendments to mitigate heavy metal accumulation in crops. Here, eleven materials were added to cadmium (Cd)-contaminated paddy soil in greenhouse pot trials; rice was grown and harvested, the chemodiversity of post-harvest soil DOM was characterized using Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, and the specific associations between soil DOM traits and water-extractable soil Cd concentration were identified at the molecular level. The results showed that the endogenous release caused by altering soil pH had a greater effect on soil DOM concentration than did the exogenous chemical input due to the application of organic amendments, which in turn contributed to the chemodiversity of DOM. After one season of rice cultivation, soil DOM molecules were mainly dominated by relatively low molecular weight heteroatom-free lignins. C/N, C/H ratios of organic materials influenced DOM molecular fingerprint patterns, and soil pH and redox potential were the main driving forces affecting the chemodiversity of DOM. Furthermore, the low molecular weight, high saturation, low aromaticity, and heteroatom-free DOM molecules are more likely to dissolve Cd from the soil solid phase, thus increasing the potential risk of Cd to the environment. The results provide critical information about amendments-induced changes in DOM chemodiversity and will inform the selection of appropriate soil amendments.

Plant density and manure application affected yield and essential oil composition of Bakhtiari savory (Satureja bachtiarica Bunge.)

The use of soil amendments and cultivated techniques are effective strategies in improving plant yield. Bakhtiari savory (Satureja bachtiarica Bunge.) is an endemic medicinal plant of Iran with various medicinal purposes. To observe the effect of cattle manure (30 t ha−1) and plant density (high plant density, HPD: 80,000; medium plant density, MPD: 40,000, and low plant density, LPD: 26,666 plants ha−1), an experiment was accomplished as split plot with three replicates during 2018 and 2019 on plant yield, nutrients concentration, essential oil (EO) yield and composition, and also stomatal properties of Bakhtiari savory in the dryland farming conditions. The maximum plant weight was observed with manure application at HPD plant density in the second year. The greatest concentrations of N, Ca, and Mg were obtained in the plans treated with manure application and HPD. The increase of plant density led to decreased EO content and increased EO yield. The highest EO yield was observed in second-year plants supplied with manure at HPD. The GC and GC/MS analysis showed that the main constitutes of Bakhtiari savory EO were p-cymene (18.6–43%), carvacrol (32.3–59.3%), γ-terpinene (5–14.3%), thymol (0.6–17.8%), and linalool (2–4.3%), representing different concentrations under the manure and plant densities. Leaf stomatal density and length at LPD was lower compared with HPD and MPD, while increased density of EO glands was obtained at LPD. To sum up, cattle manure and HPD can result in higher plant production.

Phytoremediation of Cadmium Polluted Soils: Current Status and Approaches for Enhancing

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal present in atmosphere, rocks, sediments, and soils without a known role in plants. It is relatively mobile and can easily enter from soil into groundwater and contaminate the food chain. Its presence in food in excess amounts may cause severe conditions in humans, therefore prevention of cadmium entering the food chain and its removal from contaminated soils are important steps in preserving public health. In the last several years, several approaches for Cd remediation have been proposed, such as the use of soil amendments or biological systems for reduction of Cd contamination. One of the approaches is phytoremediation, which involves the use of plants for soil clean-up. In this review we summarized current data on the use of different plants in phytoremediation of Cd as well as information about different approaches which have been used to enhance phytoremediation. This includes data on the increasing metal bioavailability in the soil, plant biomass, and plant accumulation capacity as well as seed priming as a promising novel approach for phytoremediation enhancing.

Brassica Species in Phytoextractions: Real Potentials and Challenges.

The genus Brassica is recognized for including species with phytoaccumulation potential and a large amount of research has been carried out in this area under a variety of conditions, from laboratory experiments to field trials, with spiked or naturally contaminated soils, using one- or multi-element contaminated soil, generating various and sometimes contradictory results with limited practical applications. To date, the actual field potential of Brassica species and the feasibility of a complete phytoextraction process have not been fully evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to summarize the results of the experiments that have been performed with a view to analyzing real potentials and limitations. The reduced biomass and low metal mobility in the soil have been addressed by the development of chemically or biologically assisted phytoremediation technologies, the use of soil amendments, and the application of crop management strategies. Certain issues, such as the fate of harvested biomass or the performance of species in multi-metal-contaminated soils, remain to be solved by future research. Potential improvements to current experimental settings include testing species grown to full maturity, using a greater amount of soil in experiments, conducting more trials under real field conditions, developing improved crop management systems, and optimizing solutions for harvested biomass disposal.

Trace Organic Contaminant Transfer and Transformation in Bioretention Cells: A Field Tracer Test with Benzotriazole.

Bioretention cells can effectively infiltrate stormwater runoff and partly remove conventional water contaminants. A field tracer injection experiment in a conventionally designed bioretention cell was used to investigate the fate of benzotriazole, a model trace organic contaminant, during and between runoff events. Moderate (29%) benzotriazole load reductions were measured during the 6 h long injection experiment. The detection of 1-methyl benzotriazole, hydroxy benzotriazole, and methoxy benzotriazole provided in situ evidence of some rapid benzotriazole microbial transformation during the tracer test and more importantly between the events. The detection of benzotriazole alanine and benzotriazole acetyl alanine also showed fast benzotriazole phytotransformation to amino acid conjugates during the tracer test and suggests further transformation of phytotransformation products between events. These data provide conclusive full-scale evidence of benzotriazole microbial and phytotransformation in bioretention cells. Non-target chemical analysis revealed the presence of a diverse range of trace organic contaminants in urban runoff and exiting the bioretention cell, including pesticides and industrial, household, and pharmaceutical compounds. We have demonstrated the in situ potential of urban green infrastructure such as bioretention cells to eliminate polar trace organic contaminants from stormwater. However, targeted design and operation strategies, for example, hydraulic control and the use of soil amendments, should be incorporated for improved bioretention cell performance for such compounds.

Improved soil-crop system management aids in NH3 emission mitigation in China

High ammonia (NH3) emissions from fertilized soil in China have led to various concerns regarding environmental safety and public health. In response to China's blue skies protection campaign, effective NH3 reduction measures need to consider both mitigation efficiency and food security. In this context, we conducted a meta-analysis (including 2980 observations from 447 studies) to select effective measures based on absolute (AV) and yield-scaled (YSAV) NH3 volatilization reduction potential, with the aim of establishing a comprehensive NH3 mitigation framework covering various crop production sectors, and offering a range of potential solutions. The results showed that manipulating crop density, using an intermittent irrigation regime for paddy field rice, applying N as split applications or partially substituting inorganic fertilizer N with organic N sources could achieve reductions in AV and YSAV reduction of 10–20 %; adopting drip irrigation regimes, adding water surface barrier films to paddy fields, or using double inhibitor (urease and nitrification), slow-release or biofertilizers could achieve 20–40 % mitigation; plastic film mulching, applying fertilizer by irrigation or using controlled-release fertilizers could yield 40–60 % reduction; use of a urease inhibitor, fully substituting fertilizer N with organic N, or applying fertilizer by deep placement could decrease AV and YSAV by over 60 %. In addition, use of soil amendments, applying suitable inorganic N sources, or adopting crop rotation, intercropping or a rice-fish production model all had significant benefits to control AV. The adoption of any particular strategy should consider local accessibility and affordability, direct intervention by local/government authorities and demonstration to encourage the uptake of technologies and practices, particularly in NH3 pollution hotspot areas. Together, this could ensure food security and environmental sustainability.

Assessment of compost and three biochars associated with Ailanthus altissima (Miller) Swingle for lead and arsenic stabilization in a post-mining Technosol

The elevated presence of metal(loid)s in the environment significantly impacts ecosystems and human health and is generally largely due to industrial and mining activities. Thus, in the current study, we investigated and proposed an environmentally friendly method (phytomanagement) aimed at reducing the negative impacts associated with metal(loid) pollution through the use of soil amendments (biochar and compost) to permit Ailanthus altissima growth on a highly contaminated mining Technosol, with arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) contents of 539.06 and 11 453 mg kg–1, respectively. The objective was to examine the impacts of three biochars and compost on i) the physicochemical characteristics of soil, ii) metal(loid) immobilization in soil, and iii) A. altissima growth. We revealed that the application of biochar as a soil amendment improved soil conditions by increasing soil electrical conductivity, pH, and water-holding capacity. Moreover, concomitantly, we observed a large reduction (99%) in Pb mobility and availability following application of the hardwood biochar in combination with compost (HBCP). Thus, this combined soil amendment was most effective in promoting A. altissima growth. In addition, the HBCP treatment prevented As translocation in the upper parts of plants, although soil pore water As concentration was not diminished by amendment application.

Effects of fertilisation on radionuclide uptake by maize from an acidic soil in northwestern Croatia

The goal of this study is to shed more light on the influence of fertilisation on radionuclide transfer from soil to crops, which is a significant ecological issue in present-day agriculture due to the intensive use of soil amendments. Research on this subject has not been extensive, hence there are still numerous open questions that require an interdisciplinary approach involving agroecology and radioecology. Maize was chosen for our investigation because it has been used, in considerable quantities and worldwide, as both food and feed, which makes it part of numerous food chains with humans as final consumers. The agricultural part of the experiment was carried out on an acidic soil in northwestern Croatia, and it was based on seven treatments with different levels of NPK fertilisation. Radionuclide activity concentrations in sampled soil, stem, and grain were measured by means of high-resolution γ-ray spectrometry. We found that the radiological properties of the soil were not affected by the addition of the fertiliser. Soil-to-stem uptake for radionuclides of the whole 232Th decay chain was first suppressed by mild fertilisation, and then, at higher fertiliser concentrations, it stayed low and became independent of fertilisation level. The same effect was observed for the 238U decay chain before gaseous 222Rn. We present arguments in favour of the cause of the observed suppression being radionuclide complexation with constituents of the fertiliser. However, the concentration of 210Pb in stem did not depend on fertilisation, which was most probably a consequence of the decay of airborne 222Rn and the deposition of its progenies onto stem. Radionuclide translocation from stem to grain did not depend on fertilisation either, and it was appreciable only for 40K and 137Cs. In grain, radionuclide concentrations were lower than in stem. Overall, in our case, fertilisation had positive effects, reducing the presence of radionuclides in the maize while having no detectable impact on the radiological properties of the soil. This finding may have implications for future work, especially regarding concerns about the impact of soil amendments on food production.

Effects of Lime and Compost on Acidic Soil Amelioration and Grain Yield of Maize at Jimma, Southwestern Ethiopia

Maize is the third important cereal crop globally after wheat and rice. Though it is consumed in all regions of Ethiopia, the crop is used as stable food in western and south western part of the country. However, Soil acidity and nutrients depletion are serious limitations in maize productivity improvement. Now a day, increasing maize production through expansion of cultivable land is no more possible. Productivity of the crop on less fertile acidic soils can be improved by integrated use of soil amendments like lime, compost as well as farm yard manure and proper fertilizer management. In Ethiopia, integrated approach of soil fertility management is attractive prime importance these days. The objective of this study is to evaluate effects of manure (FYM),compost, and their interactions with lime and inorganic fertilizers on soil properties and maize productivity . The experiment was conducted for consecutive cropping seasons 2010-2013 at Melko Jima Agricultural Research Center,. The Center is found in South Western Ethiopia; in Oromiya National Regional State and located at 7°40'47"N latitude and 36°49'47"E longitude. The mean maximum and minimum temperature of the Center are 26.2 and 11.3°C respectively. The elevation of the Center is 1,753m above sea level and it receives 1,529.5mm average annual Rainfall. The design was RCB design with three replications. Combinations of organic, inorganic fertilizers and lime significantly (P &lt; 0.05) influenced maize grain yield in all cropping seasons. The result also revealed that in the first cropping season, recommended NP gave significantly higher yield than other combinations. On the other hand, recommended NP + recommended lime resulted in significantly higher grain yield than other combinations in 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons. It is shown that application of organic, inorganic fertilizers and lime significantly affected soil properties such as pH, exchangeable acidity, available phosphorus organic carbon content and cation exchange capacity. Accordingly, the use of compost alone, compost and lime significantly improved soil reaction in relation to other combinations. However the use of N and P and its combinations with organic fertilizer and lime did not improve soil pH. This indicates the soil acidity aggravate effect of ammoniac fertilizes. Compost, together N and P, compost with lime as well as half of compost, lime and recommended N and P significantly lowered exchangeable acidity of the soil. The use of compost alone and as well as compost and lime simultaneously significantly increased available P in soil solution relative to other combinations. It was also observed that application of compost alone and simultaneously with lime improved CEC and organic carbon stack of the soil. Generally, the use of integrated compost, manure , lime and in directly and indirect improving soil chemical and physical properties. provide significant quantities of available nitrogen, P, Mo and B, and more favorable conditions for microbial mediated reactions. Integrate use of lime, organic nutrient sources and inorganic fertilizers are beneficial in improving maize productivity and ameliorating properties of acid soil. Keywords: C ompost, Exchangeable acidity, FYM, Lime, P fertilizer, Soil pH DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/12-3-03 Publication date: February 28 th 2021

Evaluation of soil amendments in perennial ryegrass pastures associated with white and red clover in small-scale milk production systems

Objective: evaluate the effect of the inclusion of lime and dolomite soil amendments in an established pasture of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) cv. Tetragrain associated with white clover (Trifolium repens) cv. Ladino and red clover (Trifolium pratense) cv. Kendall. Methodology: Three treatments of soil amendments were implemented on a perennial ryegrass with white and red clover pasture A split plot experimental design was used. The treatments were: T1= control treatment (without soil amendment), T2= lime and T3= dolomite. The evaluated variables were: herbage mass (HM), dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and estimated metabolizable energy (eME). Results: There were significant differences in all evaluated variables, the interaction between experimental periods and treatments was not significant for any variable. The treatments did not affect herbage mass. As for the the soil, a decrease in pH is observed at the end of the experiment, and there was an increase in the total soluble calcium, magnesium and nitrogen and a decrease in aluminum. Implications: This study illustrates the use of soil amendments, which somehow modulate effects of the farmer practices on the pasture soils. Conclusions: Inclusion of soil amendments in pastures did not increase dry matter production, content of FDN, FDA or IVDMD, but increased crude protein and evaluated minerals, and decreases aluminum.

Improving vegetable production under semi-arid, saline conditions in south-western Madagascar

AbstractAgricultural production on the Mahafaly Plateau in SW-Madagascar has traditionally been based on subsistence rain-fed agriculture, with yields declining as a result of low soil fertility, recurrent droughts, and erratic rainfall. Market-oriented vegetable production in this area may help households improve their nutrition and diversify their income. In field trials between the 2013 and 2016 dry cropping seasons, the feasibility of carrot (Daucus carota L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) production was assessed by testing effects of manure and charcoal amendments, shading, and seed quality on yields. Due to damage caused by cyclones and strong winds, only data from 2013 and 2016 are reported in this paper. Additionally to the field experiments, effects of salinity on seed germination were also examined under laboratory conditions and in the field. Carrot dry matter (DM) yields were 0.24 to 2.76 t·ha−1 while those of onion were 0.15 to 0.99 t·ha−1 DM. While the combination of manure and charcoal application had only minor effects on crop growth, manure alone increased carrot yield by 26% across years. After one cropping season, manure application reduced soil pH from 9.0 to 8.6 and increased soil Corg from 0.87 to 1.76%, N from 0.08 to 0.14%, and P from 10.6 to 15.1 mg·kg−1. Shading reduced carrot yields from 0.87 to 0.58 t·ha−1 DM in 2013 and from 1.87 to 0.85 t·ha−1 DM in 2016, but increased onion yield in 2013 from 0.24 to 0.62 t·ha−1 DM. Carrot seed procured locally performed better in the field than seed imported from the capital which translated into differences in seedling emergence. Saline irrigation water (electrical conductivity = 7.03 mS·cm−1) reduced seedling emergence rate of carrot from 73 to 20% and for onion from 44 to 28% and unprimed seeds performed better than primed ones. Using shading during the dry season is not advisable for carrot and onion production, but improving seed quality and targeted use of soil amendments (time of manure application, manure quality) may enhance vegetable yields.

Woody plant encroachment into coastal grasslands: consequences for soil properties and plant diversity

Northeastern U.S. coastal grasslands are biologically, culturally, and historically significant but are being lost through the invasion of woody plants, including native species Gaylussacia baccata Wangenh. and Smilax rotundifolia L. Soil changes induced by these woody plants have important implications for herbaceous species diversity and restoration potential. We determined the effects of young and old G. baccata and S. rotundifolia patches on soil properties and plant diversity and identified relationships among soil properties and plant diversity. On a coastal grassland on Naushon Island (MA, USA) in 2015 and 2016, we used a time sequence of satellite imagery to identify young ( 20 years) patches of G. baccata and S. rotundifolia. In these areas and in remaining grassland patches, we sampled soil properties, leaf 15N, and herbaceous plant diversity. All soils had low pH and higher extractable NH4+ than NO3−. G. baccata had relatively low extractable soil NO3−, soil potential nitrification, and leaf δ15N, while S. rotundifolia had relatively high extractable soil NH4+, low soil pH, and high leaf %N. Herbaceous plant diversity was low under S. rotundifolia and nearly absent under G. baccata, and most effects were more pronounced in older woody plant patches. Species diversity correlated with different soil variables between the two woody plants, indicating different mechanisms may drive diversity loss. Especially in older woody plant patches, restoration efforts should take into account soil changes, such as by making use of soil amendments. This could help offset soil effects after woody plant clearance and better enable grassland species recovery.

Influence of moisture conservation practices and amendments on soil properties, yield and uptake of nutrients by Soybean in Inceptisols

An experiment was executed during the kharif 2016-17, to find out “Influence of moisture conservation practices and amendments on soil properties, yield and uptake of nutrients by soybean in Inceptisols”. The experiment was conducted at Integrated Farming System Research, Dr. PDKV, Akola with seven treatments replicated thrice in randomize block design. The treatments consists of RDF (Normal sowing), RDF+ opening of furrow at 30 and 45 DAS with incorporation of glyricidia and vermicompost. The result indicated that the adoption of moisture conservation practices and use of soil amendments significantly influenced the physical and chemical properties of soil. Similarly, the fertility status of soil was also enhanced. Significantly highest yield and uptake of nutrients by soybean was registered in treatment T6 where 75% of RDF + FYM @ 2.5 tones after opening of furrow at 30 DAS, while fertility status of soil were significantly enhanced in treatment T4, where 75% RDN and 100% P and K through were applied through chemical fertilizer + 25% N through Green leaf manuring (Glyricidia) at the time of sowing and opening of furrow at 30 DAS. The integration of moisture conservation practices and soil amendments have greater significance in improving yield of soybean and properties of soil.