Nature And Properties Of Soils

If moist food scraps are placed in a container and left to sit for a week or two, the end product is likely to be a smelly \" slop \" that attracts flies. Given the proper conditions, these same food scraps can be composted to produce a material that looks and smells like rich soil and can be used to enhance soil texture and productivity. So, what are these conditions that promote composting? The physical and chemical conditions that should be maintained in a compost heap seem logical if you think about what compost really is — a big pile of food for billions of minute organisms. These microorganisms have certain chemical requirements, primarily carbon for energy, nitrogen to build proteins, and oxygen for respiration. Interacting with these are physical requirements, such as aeration to maintain optimal oxygen levels while not depleting the moisture necessary for microbial growth. This chapter begins with an overview of the chemical, physical, and biological changes that occur during thermophilic composting, thereby providing an example of how several sciences can be integrated in the study of composting. This overview is followed by more detailed, separate sections on compost chemistry, physics, and biology. Much of the information in the chemistry and physics sections focuses on thermophilic composting. The biology section includes a discussion of the microbes that are present in all types of composting, and of the diversity of invertebrates that live in outdoor and some worm composting systems. The information presented here reflects the current body of scientific knowledge regarding composting. Much remains unknown, leaving a variety of intriguing questions for future research. Some of these questions are identified as Research Possibilities, sprinkled in italics throughout the text. We hope they will provide the inspiration for students to ask a much wider range of questions, and to design their own original research.

The Science of Composting

A method of soil analysis

Advances in AgronomyPrepared under the auspices of the American Society of Agronomy. Vol. 3. Edited by A. G. Norman. Pp. x + 361. (New York: Academic Press, Inc., 1951.) 7.80 dollars.

Advances Is Agronomy

Optimization of food waste compost with the use of biochar.

Compost maturity and nitrogen availability by co-composting of paddy husk and chicken manure amended with clinoptilolite zeolite.

Enhancing nitrogen availability from urea using clinoptilolite zeolite.

Tropical acid soils are highly weathered as they exist under tropical environment with high rainfall and temperature throughout the year, which affects nitrogen availability. Soil organic nitrogen ...

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Soil pH Buffering Capacity and Nitrogen Availability Following Compost Application in a Tropical Acid Soil

Adsorption and desorption of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) soils are controlled by pH, pH buffering capacity, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). These factors optimized to improve timely availability of N, P, and K crop use using organic amendments such as chicken litter biochar (CLB). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of CLB on N, P, K sorption and pH buffering capacity of an acid soil. Different rates of CLB were mixed with an acid soil for N, P, and K sorption and pH buffering capacity determination. The CLB increased soil pH and pH buffering capacity, but unlike P and K adsorption, the different rates of CLB significantly increased N adsorption, suggesting that this soil amendment has high affinity for N than P and K. Also, because CLB reduced N, P, and K desorption, it suggests that N in particular will be slowly released with time. The reduced N desorption but higher N adsorption further indicates that N can be temporary fixed by CLB. This work has revealed CLB is more effective controlling soil N availability for timely crop use to avoid losses.

Adsorption and Desorption of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Soil Buffering Capacity Following Application of Chicken Litter Biochar to an Acid Soil

Ammonia loss from urea significantly hinders efficient use of urea in agriculture. In order to reduce ammonia loss and, at the same time, improve beneficial accumulation of soil exchangeable ammonium and nitrate for efficient utilization by plants, this laboratory study was conducted to determine the effect of mixing urea with zeolite and peat soil water on ammonia volatilization, soil exchangeable ammonium and available nitrate contents, compared with urea without additives under waterlogged condition. The soil used was Bekenu Series (Fine loamy, siliceous, isohyperthermic, red-yellow to yellow Tipik Tualemkuts). The mixtures significantly reduced ammonia loss by 25 to 38% compared with urea (straight urea, 46% N). All the mixtures of zeolite and peat soil water with urea significantly increased soil exchangeable ammonium (by 59 to 80 mg kg -1 ) and available nitrate (by 5 to 12 mg kg -1 ) contents. The temporary reduction of soil pH may have retarded urea hydrolysis. It could be possible to improve the efficiency of urea surface-applied to high value crops by addition of zeolite and peat soil water. Key words: Ammonia volatilization, peat soil water, exchangeable ammonium, available nitrate.

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Omar Latifah

Papers

Compost maturity and nitrogen availability by co-composting of paddy husk and chicken manure amended with clinoptilolite zeolite.

Enhancing nitrogen availability from urea using clinoptilolite zeolite.

Soil pH Buffering Capacity and Nitrogen Availability Following Compost Application in a Tropical Acid Soil

Adsorption and Desorption of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Soil Buffering Capacity Following Application of Chicken Litter Biochar to an Acid Soil

Ammonia loss, ammonium and nitrate accumulation from mixing urea with zeolite and peat soil water under waterlogged condition