Addition of a fine-textured soil to compost to reduce nutrient leaching in a sandy soil
Trung-Ta Nguyen A B and Petra Marschner A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: nguyentrungta@yahoo.com
Soil Research 51(3) 232-239 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR13105
Submitted: 1 April 2013 Accepted: 24 May 2013 Published: 12 June 2013
Abstract
Compost addition to soil can increase nutrient availability, but if added to sandy soils, nutrients can be rapidly leached. Clay added to compost could increase nutrient retention and reduce nutrient leaching due to binding to the clay. An incubation experiment was conducted to assess the effect of addition of a fine-textured soil (34% clay) to garden waste compost on nutrient availability and leaching in a sandy soil. The sandy soil was non-amended or amended with compost only, at a rate 27.3 g kg–1, or with a mixture of compost and 5% or 20% (w/w) of fine-textured soil. Two additional treatments included sandy soil amended with only the fine-textured soil at rates similar to those added with compost. Soil, compost, and fine-textured soil were mixed and packed to a bulk density of 1.22 g cm–3. Soil respiration was measured over 23 days. On days 1, 5, and 23, the soils were leached with 50 mL reverse-osmosis water, and the following parameters were measured in the leachate: water-soluble organic carbon (OC), inorganic nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P); water-soluble OC and available N and P were measured in the soil after leaching. Compost increased nutrient availability and leaching compared with the non-amended control. Addition of the fine-textured soil to compost reduced cumulative respiration and N and P leaching, with the effect more pronounced at 20% (w/w). Addition of the fine-textured soil alone had no effect on nutrient availability and leaching because of the low nutrient concentration in this soil. This study showed that addition of fine-textured soil to compost can reduce N and P leaching, which could enhance and prolong the positive effects of compost on soil fertility.
Additional keywords: clay, compost, N and P availability, N and P leaching, water-soluble carbon.
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