Effects of Different Sources of Organic Matter on Some Soil Fertility Properties: A Laboratory Study on a Lithic Rhodoxeralf from Turkey

Abstract

In this experiment, the influences of three different organic sources on some physical and chemical fertility properties in soil were investigated. The approach involved establishing a plot experiment in the greenhouse with a Lithic Rhodoxeralf and a variety of carbon sources having specific chemical properties applied to the soil of individual plots. Treatments include potassium (K)–humate (KH, 25, 50 and 100 kg ha⁻¹), concentrated plant extract (CPE, 50, 100 200 kg ha⁻¹), and molasses (M, 50, 100 200 kg ha⁻¹). After a 7-month incubation period, soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (N), soil reaction (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS), and bulk density (BD) were determined, and their correlation to different C sources was developed. With respect to the unamended soil, soil treated with intermediate and high doses of all organic amendments showed apparent increases of SOM, total N, pH, EC, and CEC and a slight decrease of BD.

Keywords:

• Cation exchange capacity
• K–humate
• nitrogen
• soil
• waste

Acknowledgments

The author expresses appreciation to the Scientific Research Projects Coordination unit of Akdeniz University.