Crop response to the application of special natural amendments based on zeolite tuff

Abstract

The conception of these investigations is based on the premise that a way should be found to eliminate, or at least mitigate, the harmful effect of excessive soil acidity without resorting to the massive and costly measures of liming. The main issue addressed in this study is how to increase crop yield by increasing nutrient availability rather than how to neutralize the soil. This as well as our earlier investigations, conducted on pseudogley of mesoelevations, indicate that this can be achieved by the application of special natural amendments (SNA) based on zeolite tuff, under the name Agrarvital (AV), in which clinoptilolite prevails while the remaining part is a mixture of soft lithothamnian limestone and dolomite (SLL+D). These amendments enhance ion exchange in the soil and their activation at a considerably lower pH than it is the case after liming. Fertilizing value of Agrarvital (AV) and lime materials (LM) was evaluated according to the yields achieved and some yield components of the crops grown. The results point to the good fertilizing effect of AV upon yields of winter wheat, maize, soybean and winter barley, equal to or better than the effect of conventional LM applied at several times higher rates.

The influence of special natural amendments based on zeolite tuff and different lime materials on some soil chemical properties

“…Our earlier investigations have indicated the full complexity of these problems, however not a positive outcome of the application of various materials for eliminating excessive soil acidity (Butorac and Tkalec 1974, Butorac et al 1988, Baiae et al 1990, Mesiae 1996. On the other hand, fertilizing value of SNA and the resulting changes in the soil, partly due to their mineralogical structure and chemical composition, have quite specific character, as confirmed by our own research (Butorac et al 1994(Butorac et al , 1995a as well as that done by other authors (Gworek 1992, Cerjan-Stefanoviae et al 1992, 1996, Boettinger and Graham 1993, Grube and Herman 1993 Some major characteristics and mechanisms of zeolite action were described in our preceding paper, dealing with their fertilizing value (Butorac et al 2002).…”

“…This paper addresses only changes related to the five first mentioned parameters. By presenting these results together with the results from previous paper (Butorac et al 2002), a more complete insight into fertilizing efficiency of SNA based on zeolite tuff would be achieved. Namely, it is known that zeolites are capable of releasing readily soluble nutrients already present in the soil (Eberl 1993).…”

“…The effect of AV actually complies with the nature of this amendment, which arises from its chemical composition. The results obtained with the crops tested in the trial showed that soil reaction, though important to the crops, does not play a decisive role if zeolites are applied along with the lime component (Butorac et al 2002). Applied at higher rates, AV would surely cause more significant positive changes of the reaction of acid soils.…”

“…Detailed problems relating to this research are presented in the separate paper (Butorac et al 2002).…”

“…Fertilizing value of special natural amendments (SNA) based on zeolite tuff was treated in two ways in our research: in terms of their direct effect on the yield and some yield components of trial crops (Butorac et al 2002), and in terms of their effect on some chemical properties of the soil. Both, naturally, involved comparison with traditional lime materials (LM).…”