IMPROVEMENT OF SOIL HEALTH AND QUALITY USING COMPOST APPLICATION IN WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEM – LYSIMETRIC EXPERIMENT

References: 17th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2017, www.sgem.org, SGEM2017 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7408-05-8 / ISSN 1314-2704, 29 June - 5 July, 2017, Vol. 17, Issue 32, 303-310 pp, DOI: 10.5593/sgem2017/32/S13.040

ABSTRACT

Depletion of soil fertility due to decrease in soil organic matter content represents a considerable problem in both developed and undeveloped countries. This paper deals with the comparison of compost (Cp) and mineral nitrogen fertilizer (NF) application on selected soil parameters which indicate state of soil environment, its health and quality. The main objectives of this study were (a) to investigate influence of Cp and NF application on total nitrogen (TN) and carbon (TC) content in soil (b), to determine positive/negative effects of Cp and NF application on microbial community (arbuscular mycorrhizal infection and basal respiration) in soil and production of winter wheat biomass (c), to provide recommendations on optimal dose of Cp in wheat cropping system. To demonstrate the above effect, the lysimetric experiment with seven variants was established in 2012 and then carried out for next three years. Each variant was prepared in triplicate with (Cp: 50 and 100 Mg/ha; NF: 140 kg/ha; Cp + NF: 50 Mg + 35 kg/ha; 50 Mg + 70 kg/ha and 50 Mg + 140 kg/ha) or without (control) addition of fertilizers. The positive effect ANOVA; Tukey´s HSD) of Cp application on restoration of soil quality (increasing the TC and NT content in soil) and health (higher level of microbial activity) was found in all variants with application of Cp, in comparison with control variant. Moreover, variants where combination of Cp and NF was applied showed significant increase in biomass production and in content of CT and NT, compared to the variants without application of fertilizer or those with application of only NF. Based on these results, we conclude that the combined application of Cp and NF have a prerequisite for reducing negative effects of separate applications of mineral fertilizers. Above all, the potential negative effect of higher dose (100 Mg/ha) of Cp on soil health and quality was not found.

Keywords: compost, nitrogen, carbon, winter wheat, microbial activity