Linking Soil Health to Sustainable Crop Production: Dairy Compost Effects on Soil Properties and Sorghum Biomass

Pramod Acharya, Rajan Ghimire and Youngkoo Cho
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Pramod Acharya: Department of Biology, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM 88130, USA
Rajan Ghimire: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Youngkoo Cho: Department of Biology, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM 88130, USA

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 13, 1-13

Abstract: Dairy compost is utilized in agricultural fields to supplement nutrients, yet its role in optimizing nutrient supply and health of semiarid soils is not clear. A greenhouse study was conducted over two months to evaluate soil properties and forage sorghum production under various compost rates. The study had six treatments and four replications. Treatments included compost application rates at 6.7 (C1), 13.5 (C2), 20.2 (C3), 26.9 (C4), and 33.6 Mg ha −1 (C5) and a control (C0). Soil samples were analyzed for soil organic carbon (SOC), potentially mineralizable carbon (PMC), total nitrogen (N), inorganic N, potentially mineralizable N (PMN), available phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). Plant biomass production and biomass C, N, and lignin contents were also estimated. High compost rates improved soil properties significantly (p < 0.05) indicated by increased SOC, N, P, K, Ca, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Sorghum biomass production did not increase significantly with compost rate, while shoot N content increased at higher rates of compost. A nutrient management plan that integrates dairy compost application has potential to improve soil health and support sustainable forage production in semiarid regions.

Keywords: livestock-integrated cropping system; semiarid soils; nutrient cycling; soil organic matter; soil quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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