Medium-Term Effect of Organic Amendments on the Chemical Properties of a Soil Used for Vegetable Cultivation with Cereal and Legume Rotation in a Semiarid Climate

Antonio Sánchez-Navarro, Maria del Carmen Salas-Sanjuan, María Arantzazu Blanco-Bernardeau, Juan Antonio Sánchez-Romero and María José Delgado-Iniesta ()
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Antonio Sánchez-Navarro: Soil Science and Technology Research Group, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Geology and Pedology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Murcia, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Maria del Carmen Salas-Sanjuan: Department of Agronomy, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario, ceiA3, Almería University, 04120 Almería, Spain
María Arantzazu Blanco-Bernardeau: Soil Science and Technology Research Group, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Geology and Pedology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Murcia, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Juan Antonio Sánchez-Romero: Department of Agronomy, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario, ceiA3, Almería University, 04120 Almería, Spain
María José Delgado-Iniesta: Soil Science and Technology Research Group, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Geology and Pedology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Murcia, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: The response of a Petrocalcic Palexeroll dedicated to the cultivation of vegetables ( Apium graveolens L.) with a rotation of a mixture of cereals and legumes when organic amendments are added has been studied; specifically, three fertilization treatments were experimented with: two organic (LSM and COA) and one with chemical fertilizers (I). The LSM and COA plots were managed according to the regulations governing organic production, while in I, conventional agricultural production practices were used. Over a three-year period, monthly samples were taken from the topsoil and analyzed for organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), C/N ratio, total P (P), electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECext) and extract ions, pH in water (pHw) and 1 M KCl (pHKCl), cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable bases (Mg 2+ , K + , Na + ), and assimilable elements (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn). The results obtained indicated significant differences between the treatments for the OC, TN, C/N, and P; specifically, in the case of OC the mean concentrations were 22.2 > 20.1 > 17.5 g kg −1 for the LSM, COA, and I, respectively. The addition of organic amendments also improved the soil function for food production, evidenced by the higher concentrations of K, Mg, and micronutrients. The ECext and extracted ions were also sensitive to the treatments such that the sequence of ECext in the third year was COA = LSM > I, with values of 5.0, 4.8, and 3.3 dSm −1 , which forced a rethink of the doses of the amendments applied. These results suggest that the LSM-based agronomic model had a beneficial effect on the soil properties and contributed to its function as a C sink.

Keywords: organic fertilization; sustainable management; carbon capture; organic farming (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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