Title: EFFECT OF ORGANIC AMENDMENTS ON WATER RETENTION CHARACTERISTIC OF STAGNIC GLEYSOL SOIL
Abstract: The utilization of municipal organic wastes in agricultural fields is gaining popularity as a waste disposal method and source of organic matter. Most sewage wastes contain valuable nutrients that could be used to improve soil fertility. Furthermore, beneficial changes may be seen not only in the chemical but also in the physical properties of soil. A field experiment was conducted in 2005 on Stagnic Gleysol soil where different organic amendments were applied, such as compost, pig manure, and sewage sludges from the sewage-treatment plants of Krzeszowice and Czernichow. The results were compared with mineral fertilizers and an untreated control. The amounts of all fertilizers were determined adequate to supply 110 kg N ha -1 . The pig manure and sewage sludges change the soil porosity in range of pores <50 µm in diameter. The application of these organic fertilizers decreases the volume of small pores (<0.005 µm) and increases porosity in the range 0.005-50 µm. This resulted in an increase in both available and productive water retention. The compost and mineral fertilizer application do not affect the air-water properties of Stagnic Gleysol. The use of wastes in agriculture and for land reclamation is increasingly being identified as an important issue for both soil conservation and residual disposal. Most sewage wastes contain valuable nutrients that could be used to improve soil fertility. Furthermore, beneficial changes may be seen in soils with low organic matter contents that are prone to structural degradation as well as loss of fertility (1, 19). Numerous studies have dealt with the chemical aspects of compost utilization, such as fertility and pollution (3, 5, 10, 15). The changes recorded were not only chemical but also the physical properties of soil due to organic amendment. Many authors agree that organic wastes improve the soil physical properties and soil biological activity (1, 4, 17, 28). Giusquiani et al. (11) found that compost increased total porosity and enhanced the soil structure and quality of the pore system. Organic matter has beneficial effects on soil structure and leads to
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 4
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