Changes in Physical and Water Retention Properties of Technosols by Agricultural Reclamation with Wheat–Rapeseed Rotation in a Post-Mining Area of Central Poland

Michał Kozłowski (), Krzysztof Otremba, Marek Pająk and Marcin Pietrzykowski
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Michał Kozłowski: Department of Soil Science, Reclamation and Geodesy, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94E, 60-649 Poznan, Poland
Krzysztof Otremba: Department of Soil Science, Reclamation and Geodesy, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94E, 60-649 Poznan, Poland
Marek Pająk: Department of Ecological Engineering and Forest Hydrology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
Marcin Pietrzykowski: Department of Ecological Engineering and Forest Hydrology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: During opencast lignite mining, the natural landscape is damaged, along with soils, and new anthropogenic landforms are created which require reclamation. Usually, the evaluation of the effects of reclamation (mostly forestry) is concerned with changes in chemical properties in the first years, mainly in the surface horizon. This study analyzed the effect of long-term agricultural reclamation (43 years) on the physical and water retention properties of Technosols. The experiment involved cultivation of winter wheat and winter oilseed rape under 3 fertilization variants. After 43 years, an Ap horizon (Ap1 and Ap2) developed in fertilized Technosols, but was not clearly formed in unfertilized minesoil. In Ap1, there was improvement in the physical quality (S), bulk density (BD), particle density (PD), structural stability index (SI), soil porosity (SP), air-filled porosity (AFP), field capacity (FC) and plant available water capacity (PAWC). In Ap2, properties were comparable to those in the surface horizon of unfertilized Technosols and to those observed before reclamation. Regardless of fertilization, there was deterioration in physical quality in parent materials. In general, the properties of fertilized Technosols have improved in the surface horizons, but increasing fertilization above plant requirements does not lead to their further enhancement.

Keywords: Technosols; minesoils; agricultural reclamation; wheat–rapeseed rotation; physical and water retention properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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