ABSTRACT
Nutrients losses through leaching are the main problem facing coastal saline soil. Effective microorganisms (EM) and Gypsum (G) at the application rate of 5%G and 10%G by weight were used as soil amendments. The pot experiment aimed to improve the leaching of nitrate (NO3), ammonium (NH4) and total nitrogen (TN) on the coastal saline soil. The EM+ 5%G treatment effectively reduced the content of NO3 and NH4 in the leachate by 86.59% and 68.18%, respectively. EM treatment reduced the leaching of NO3 and NH4 by 70.86% and 62.12% and EM+ 10%G reduced NO3 and NH4 by 11.80% and 50.76%, respectively. Moreover, the content of TN in leachate was reduced up to 13.23%, 5.80%, and 2.67% in response to EM, EM+ 5%G, and EM+ 10%G, respectively, compared to the control. These results indicate that EM combined with G as soil amendments can reduce leaching of nutrients and further support the regulation of a coastal saline soil pH and EC.