Assessing the Effects of Organic Amendments on Soil Fertility

Saurabh Raj Pandey 1 , Abhishek Raj Ranjan 2 , Jagriti Kumari3

1Department of Agronomy, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-UP India.

2Department of Agronomy, BUAT, Banda- UP India

3Department of Agricultural Extension and Communication, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, BHU, Varanasi- UP India

Corresponding Author Email: Abhishekrajranjan98@gmail.com

DOI : https://doi.org/10.51470/JOD.2023.2.2.09

Abstract

In light of the challenges posed by altering climate patterns and increasing population increase, soil degradation represents a substantial danger to the sustainability of agricultural practices and the safeguarding of food supplies. Traditional agricultural techniques, such as genetic modification and excessive chemical treatments, have been a contributing factor in the deterioration of soil health and production. In order to address this issue, soil amendments have emerged as an important intervention that can increase both the quality of the soil and the production of crops. An investigation of the many ways in which organic and inorganic soil amendments influence the chemical and physical characteristics of soil is presented in this article. Organic additions, such as compost and farmyard manure (FYM), improve the structure of the soil, the capacity of the soil to hold water, the pH balance, and the availability of nutrients, which in turn promotes the development of crops while maintaining their sustainability. Despite the potential advantages they offer, widespread adoption is hampered by obstacles such as competition for resources and expensive application costs, particularly in places that are still in the process of growing. A comprehensive approach to sustainable agriculture is presented by the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers with efforts to conserve soil. When it comes to enhancing the effectiveness of soil amendments while simultaneously reducing their negative effects, quality control, and environmental management are very necessary. By implementing strategic soil management strategies, it is feasible to reduce the pace of soil deterioration and guarantee food availability for future generations.

Keywords

balance, organic food, potential, soil, widespread

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Introduction

The deterioration of soil is a substantial obstacle to the long-term viability of food production as well as the sustainability of human existence. Farmers, environmentalists, and the general population all over the world face significant problems as a result of the harmful effects of climate change. These implications include unanticipated shifts in rainfall patterns, abrupt spikes in the intensity of rainfall, and fluctuations in temperature. It is anticipated that the need for food will greatly increase, which will make these difficulties much more difficult to deal with [1;18-19]. This demand is likely to be compounded by the increasing demands of human population growth, which is projected to climb to 9.5 billion by the year 2050 [20-21]. When it comes to tackling the issue of food insecurity, academics and policymakers face a daunting obstacle in the shape of a convergence of altering climatic patterns and rising population rates. Furthermore, to achieve the main goal of achieving food security, it is essential to take into consideration a variety of aspects, including the bioavailability of nutrients, the dynamics of the environment, and the vitality of your soil biology. According to [2], traditional agricultural methods for enhancing crop growth and output frequently entail the use of genetic modification, increased fertilizer use, inefficient irrigation systems, and a dependence on chemical treatments such as pesticides and herbicides. As a consequence of this, several management methods have led to the deterioration of soil health. These practices include the absence of adequate soil organic matter, deficits in micronutrients or particular nutrients, the loss of biodiversity, and the continued presence of chemicals in the soil system. According to [3], the cumulative effect of these variables is to lead to the deterioration of soil and land, which in turn poses considerable problems to agricultural output. As a result, there is an immediate requirement to reverse the deterioration of the soil and restore the qualities of the soil to regain the health of the soil sustainably. While it is necessary to protect natural resources for future generations, it is also essential to maintain agricultural yield and soil quality via the use of site-specific management measures [22-25].

Soil Amendment

According to [4], a soil amendment is a substance that can enhance the soil in both a physical and chemical sense, hence making it more conducive to the development of plants. Both the physical and biological qualities of the soil are negatively impacted as a result of the unfavourable soil conditions that develop on land that has been mined. In order to mitigate the negative effects that mining has on the soil, a variety of soil amendments, including biochar, fly ash, and compost, have been used. There are two primary categories of soil amendments that have been utilized to enhance the fertility of the soil and to stabilize the conditions of the site:

If you want to increase the fertility of the soil and stabilize the conditions at the site, there are two primary forms of soil amendments:
1. Organic Amendments
This mixture is made up of organic components that are derived from living creatures and biomass products. Compost, wood chips, charcoal, animal manure, straw, husk, geotextile, and sewage manure are the typical components that make up this material. Because of the high concentration of organic matter and necessary macro- and microelements that these materials possess, they improve the microclimate conditions of the soil and serve as substrates for the proliferation of microorganisms, so increasing the fertility of the soil. The application of mulch to the surface of the landfill has a significant impact on the temperature and moisture levels of the rhizosphere [5]. Mulch cover causes a significant reduction in the temperature of the rhizosphere, which is in contrast to the higher temperatures that are found in portions of the landfill that are not recovered and are exposed to the elements.
2. Amendments that are inorganic
The integration of these alterations generally concerns minerals that are associated with the productivity of the soil. As a result of its ability to bond with high sodium salts, gypsum is a popular choice for pH correction. Lime or limestone, on the other hand, reduces the amount of acidity that is present in the soil [6]. By-products of coal combustion, like as fly ash, have been the subject of study because of the possibility that they contain a high concentration of trace elements, even though they are effective. According to research, the incorporation of a variety of soil amendments, both organic and inorganic, has tremendous potential for increasing the pH of the soil to a range between 3.2 and 7, reducing the solubility of trace metals by more than 80 percent, and promoting the stability of the soil.

Effects of Organic Amendments on Soil Physical Properties; Aggregate Stability and Bulk Density

Aggregate stability appears as a key metric in regard to the physical features of soil, and it is differentiated by the simplicity with which it may be measured. There have been a great number of research projects that have investigated the effect that composts and farmyard manure (FYM) have on optimizing the stability of aggregates [7]. It was brought to everyone’s attention that organic resources, such as compost and FYM, have a beneficial impact on the enhancement of the soil structure. It is possible to improve aggregate stability by the implementation of an adequate management of organic matter (OAs) that involves the integration of compost and FYM into soils that are capable of maintaining an acceptable soil structure [8]. Aggregate stability is a fundamental aspect in problems about the physical fertility of soil.

Water Holding Capacity

The relevance of compost and farmyard manure (FYM) in improving the physical qualities of soil is highlighted by the relationship that exists between the fertility of the soil and the extent to which water is available. It is essential to take into consideration the effect that these amendments have on the water content of the soil as well as its standing capacity (WHC). The incorporation of compost and FYM into the soil not only increases water holding capacity (WHC), but it also fosters adhesive and cohesive forces within the soil matrix, which in turn increases water retention. According to [9], this phenomena can be linked to the increase of pore space, which makes it easier for the soil structure to retain a higher amount of water. According to [10], the amount of water required to irrigate the same crop goes down by 3.7% for every 1% increase in the organic matter soil water holding capacity (OM soil WHC).

Soil Reaction (pH)

[17] observed a constant pattern: the soil pH exhibited a commensurate increase of roughly 0.5 units on average when the application rate of dairy manure doubled from 11.2 to 179.2 t ha-1. This was seen as the rate of application increased. This increase in pH levels has important ramifications for the health of the soil, particularly in situations when the soil is acidic [17]. This is because it increases the accessibility of microelements while simultaneously reducing the solubility of some elements that are damaging to the soil. This gives rise to an intriguing inquiry into the possibility of employing farmyard manure (FYM) as an alternative to lime application in some circumstances, therefore successfully utilizing the resources that are native to the area.

Primary Nutrients (N, P and K)

Composts and farmyard manure (FYM) are two examples of organic amendments that have a vital role in increasing the availability of nutrients for plants. Mineralization processes are essential for the transformation of organic nitrogen (N) into inorganic forms, and it is commonly acknowledged that a broad variety of microbes play a role in this transformation. According to research conducted on soil, it has been discovered that soils treated with organic additions have greater levels of potentially mineable realizable pools and basal respiration than soils treated simply with mineral fertilizers [11]. This is the case for both carbon (C) and nitrogen (N).

Other Elements and Cation Exchange Capacity

Increases in organic matter and key elements in soil are not the only benefits that organic amendments provide; they also give other advantages. Additionally, they serve as a sort of insurance against future productivity limits by providing supplemental nutrients that are frequently neglected by farmers. These minerals include manganese, zinc, and sulphur. According to [12-14], organic amendments offer a method for the addition of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which are often present in liming sources. This allows these nutrients to build in the soil over time.
Through their study in [15-16] discovered that there is considerable potential for employing organic wastes from sugar plantations to enhance soil with organic matter, exchangeable bases, and micronutrients. These are factors that had been neglected in Ethiopian agriculture in the past. Compost and farmyard manure (FYM) treatments have been found to contribute to an increase in the stock of organic carbon (OC), which in turn leads to an increase in the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the soil. This has been demonstrated by a large number of long-term fertility experiments. Organic matter has a large negative charge, which plays a critical function in storing nutrients and making them more accessible to plants. This boost can be linked to the fact that organic matter has strong negative charge.

Conclusion

The incorporation of organic amendments, such as compost and FYM, has a substantial impact on the physicochemical and biological characteristics of soil, notably in terms of increasing fertility and productivity. The effectiveness of these adjustments varies according to the type of alteration and the level of application that is used. Through the process of carbon sequestration, organic soil enrichment makes a beneficial contribution to the mitigation of climate change. This is accomplished by preventing soil deterioration and environmental damage. In spite of this, there are obstacles that must be overcome in order to achieve sustainable agriculture, particularly in poor countries. These obstacles include competition for organic materials, the high cost and labor-intensive nature of their application, and the fact that the major advantages of organic agriculture are long-term. As a result, it is essential to use a holistic strategy, which involves mixing organic and inorganic fertilizers with techniques of soil conservation that are both physical and biological. The evaluation of stability and quality assurance in the manufacture of organic products are both absolutely significant. In addition, the management of application rates needs to be carefully managed in order to regulate the influence that compost and FYM have on the ecosystem.

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