Soil Properties and Maize Growth in Saline and Nonsaline Soils using Cassava‐Industrial Waste Compost and Vermicompost with or Without Earthworms

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of compost and vermicompost as soil conditioners in alleviating salt‐affected soils and increasing maize productivity. A greenhouse trial, consisting of seven soil amendment treatments in a completely randomized design with three replications, was carried out at Khon Kaen University, Thailand, during the rainy season of 2011. Plant height and total dry matter of maize increased in treatments with compost and vermicompost application when compared with the control (no fertilizer) in two types of soils (saline and nonsaline) during the growing season. Soil pH and electrical conductivity in saturation paste extracts were decreased by compost and vermicompost amendments with or without earthworms when compared with unamended treatments in the saline soil. Compost and vermicompost amendments improved cation exchange capacity, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and extractable phosphorus in both soils. These amendments also increased exchangeable K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ while decreasing exchangeable Na+ in the saline soil, which suggested that Ca2+ was exchanged for Na+, exchangeable Na+, then leached out, and soil salinity reduced as a result. Soil microbial activities including microbial C and N and basal soil respiration were improved by the application of compost and vermicompost amendments with or without earthworms when compared with the control in both soils. This experiment showed that the compost and vermicompost were effective in alleviating salinity and improving crop growth. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of vermicompost amendment as a basal fertilizer on soil properties and cucumber yield and quality under continuous cropping conditions in a greenhouse

“…The use of the VP amendment aided cucumber fruit yield under continuous cropping conditions. This outcome might result from the excellent physical characteristics and abundant nutrients of VP (Zhao et al 2010a, b;Ravindran et al 2016) and the ability of VP to effectively regulate soil properties (Oo et al 2015).…”

“…The cause of this effect might be the ability of VP to promote crop system development more effectively than other fertilizers and the capacity to absorb more mineral ions while simultaneously producing hydrogen ions (Edwards and Burrows 1988;Orozco et al 1996). The unique characteristics of VP and the beneficial interaction between VP and soil (Ngo et al 2012;Oo et al 2015) suggest that VP amendments could significantly increase soil water-holding capacity and lower bulk density, which is conducive to the healthy growth of crops. The nitrogen characteristics of soil directly reflect its fertility, and influence the absorption and utilization of mineral elements by plants.…”

Organic and Inorganic Amendments on Rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Soil in Salt Affected Areas of Bangladesh

“…Salt affected soils generally exhibit poor structural stability due to low organic matter content. Many researchers have suggested that the structural stability of soil can be improved by the addition of organic materials (Oo et al, 2013). Rice straw and cowdung are the farm products which can be used for reclamation of saline soils as it offers an opportunity to improve the physical conditions of the soil and also to some extent improves soil fertility.…”

Quantification of the inevitable: the influence of soil macrofauna on soil water movement in rehabilitated open-cut mined lands

“…Their design aims to minimise drainage into underlying hazardous wastes. Contrary to conventional covers made of compacted clay, geosynthetic clay liners, or polyvinyl chloride (Othman et al, 1994;Benson, 2000;Levin and Hammod, 1990), phytocaps serve two purposes: (1) to maximise rainfall interception by vegetation and, if required, a compacted soil layer, and (2) to remove soil water through plant transpiration and evaporation from bare soil (Salt et al, 2011). Through successive rainfall events, the loss of stored soil water through evapotranspiration decreases net percolation through the soil (Hauser et al, 2001;Rock, 2010) and reduces surface runoff and erosion.…”

“…Typically, the impact of macrofauna (e.g. ants, termites, earthworms) on soil structure is scarcely recognised by these ecological engineers and soil scientists, despite recognition by soil ecologists and entomologists that the soil macrofauna significantly contributes to ecosystem services such as soil formation, water availability for vegetation, or flood and erosion control (Lavelle et al, 2006;Cerdà et al, 2009;Cerda and Jurgensen 2011), and soil development and fertility (Oo et al, 2013;Bottinelli et al, 2015). This omission of macrofauna from landscape design may in part be due to the current lack of quantitative knowledge of their role in the nature and timing of significant alterations to soil physical properties (e.g.…”