Impacts of chemical fertilizer reduction and organic amendments supplementation on soil nutrient,enzyme activity and heavy metal content

Excessive use of agro-chemicals （such as mineral fertilizers） poses potential risks to soil quality. Application of organic amendments and reduction of inorganic fertilizer are economically feasible and environmentally sound approaches to de- velop sustainable agriculture. This study investigated and evaluated the effects of mineral fertilizer reduction and partial substitution of organic amendment on soil fertility and heavy metal content in a 10-season continually planted vegetable field during 2009-2012. The experiment included four treatments： 100% chemical fertilizer （CF100）, 80% chemical fertilizer （CF80）, 60% chemical fertilizer and 20% organic fertilizer （CF60＋OM20）, and 40% chemical fertilizer and 40% organic fertilizer （CF40＋OM40）. Soil nutrients, enzyme activity and heavy metal content were determined. The results showed that single chemical fertilizer reduction （CF80） had no significant effect on soil organic matter content, soil catalase activity and soil heavy metal content, but slightly reduced soil available N, P, K, and soil urease activity, and significantly reduced soil acid phosphatase activity. Compared with CF100, 40 or 60% reduction of chemical fertilizer supplemented with organic fertilizer （CF60＋OM20, CF40＋OM40） significantly increased soil organic matter, soil catalase activity and urease activity especially in last several seasons, but reduced soil available P, K, and soil acid phosphatase activity. In addition, continu- ous application of organic fertilizer resulted in higher accumulation of Zn, Cd, and Cr in soil in the late stage of experiment, which may induce adverse effects on soil health and food safety.

Soil microbial characteristics and yield response to partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic amendments in greenhouse vegetable production

Greenhouse vegetable production has been characterized by high agricultural inputs, high temperatures, and high cropping indexes. As an intensive form of agriculture, nutrient cycling induced by microbial activities in the greenhouses is relatively different from open fields in the same region. However, the responses of soil microbial biomass carbon （MBC） and nitrogen （MBN）, enzyme activities, microbial community composition, and yield to organic amendment are not well understood. Therefore, a 5-year greenhouse tomato （Solanum lycopersicum Mill.）-cucumber （Cucumis sativus L.） rotation experiment was conducted. The field experiment comprised 5 treatments： 4/4CN （CN, nitrogen in chemical fertilizer）, 3/4CN＋1/4MN （MN, nitrogen in pig manure）, 2/4CN＋2/4MN, 2/4CN＋1/4 MN＋1/4 SN （SN, nitrogen in corn straw） and 2/4CN＋2/4SN. The amounts of nitrogen （N）, phosphorus （P2O5）, and potassium （K2O） were equal in the five treatments. Starting with the fourth growing season, the optimal yield was obtained from soil treated with straw. MBC, MBN, phospholipid fatty acid （PLFA） profiles, and enzyme activities were significantly changed by 5 years of substitution with organic amendments. Redundancy analysis showed that MBC accounts for 89.5 and 52.3％ of the total enzyme activity and total community variability, respectively. The activities of phosphomonoesterase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and urease, and the relative abundances of fungi, actinomycetes, and Gram-negative bacteria were significantly and positively related to vegetable yields. Considering the effects of organic amendments on soil microbial characteristics and vegetable yield, 2/4CN＋1/4MN＋1/4SN can improve soil quality and maintain sustainable high yield in greenhouse vegetable production.

Effects of Long-Term Organic Amendments on Soil Organic Carbon in a Paddy Field: A Case Study on Red Soil

Soil organic carbon （SOC） is one of the main carbon reservoirs in the terrestrial ecosystem. It is important to study SOC dynamics and effects of organic carbon amendments in paddy fields because of their vest expansion in south China. A study was carried out to evaluate the relationship between the SOC content and organic carbon input under various organic amendments at a long-term fertilization experiment that was established on a red soil under a double rice cropping system in 1981. The treatments included non-fertilization （CK）, nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilization in early rice only （NPK）, green manure （Astragalus sinicus L.） in early rice only （OM1）, high rate of green manure in early rice only （OM2）, combined green manure in early rice and farmyard manure in late rice （OM3）, combined green manure in early rice, farmyard manure in late rice and rice straw mulching in winter （OM4）, combined green manure in early rice and rice straw mulching in winter （OMS）. Our data showed that the SOC content was the highest under OM3 and OM4, followed by OM1, OM2 and OM5, then NPK fertilization, and the lowest under non-fertilization. However, our analyses in SOC stock indicated a significant difference between OM3 （33.9 t ha^-1） and OM4 （31.8 t ha^-1）, but no difference between NPK fertilization （27 t ha^-1） and nonfertilization （28.1 t ha^-1）. There was a significant linear increase in SOC over time for all treatments, and the slop of linear equation was greater in organic manure treatments （0.276-0.344 g kg-1 yr^-1） than in chemical fertilizer （0.216 g kg^-1 yr^-1） and no fertilizer （0.127 g kg^-1 yr^-1）.

Impact of long-term chemical fertilizer and organic amendment to Fusarium root rot of soybean

Soil suppressiveness to Fusarium root rot of soybean had been observed in a black soil field after a long-term fertilization with nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)fertilizer combined with pig manure as organic amendment(NPM),rather than that with only nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer(NP)or no fertilizer(NF).To determine the microbial role on this suppressiveness,fungal and bacterial community characteristics in NPM,NP and NF treatments were investigated by q PCR and DGGE.Compared with the similar bacterial community characteristics among 3 treatments,fungal community,especially Fusarium population size and community composition in NPM treatment were different with those of NP and NF groups.Based on the isolation and pathogenicity test,pathogenic F.oxysporum,F.graminearum,F.verticillioide and F.lateritium absolutely dominated Fusarium community in NF and NP groups.Nonpathogenic F.avenaceum,F.equiseti,F.culmorum,F.redolens,F.solani and F.tricinctum dominated Fusarium community in NPM group.Isolation rate of pathogenic Fusarium in NPM reduced from 100%to 38%in NF.These results suggested that the dominance of soil non-pathogenic Fusarium population induced by organic amendment might play an important role on suppressing Fusarium root rot in the tested field.

Response of Soil Microbial Properties to Long-Term Application of Organic and Inorganic Amendments in a Tropical Soil (Saria, Burkina Faso)

Soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) activities and bacterial community structure were assessed in a long-term (26 years) experiment, at physiological stages of sorghum growth, comparing different management methods for organic (manure, straw residues) and inorganic (urea) amendments at the INERA field station in Saria (Burkina Faso). Annual application of manure led to the highest soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities. Investigations indicated that only microbial biomass and β-glucosidase activities were affected during the cropping season. Phosphatase and FDA enzyme activities did not depend on the crop development stages. The application of N fertilizer modified phosphatase and FDA enzyme activities, the activities being higher in soils amended with N fertilizer. The bacterial community structure was analyzed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) targeting the eubacterial 16S rRNA gene. Cluster analysis of PCR-DGGE patterns showed two major clusters, the first containing the mineral fertilization and straw treatments and the second, the straw + urea, manure and manure + urea treatments. Sorghum grain yields were the highest for manure treatments. In this long-term experiment, applying straw did not produce a better grain yield than that obtained in the un-amended plot.

Influence of Organic Amendments on Adsorption, Desorption and Leaching of Methiopyrisulfuron in Soils

Methiopyrisulfuron is a novel sulfonylurea herbicide with good activity for annual broadleaf and gramineal weeds control. Present study was to investigate the effects of organic amendments （including peat （PE）, sewage sludge （SS）, and humic acid （HA）） on adsorption, desorption and leaching of methiopyrisulfuron in soils. The batch equilibration technique was applied for adsorption-desorption experiments and the leaching was tested through soil column simulated experiments under laboratory conditions. The Freundlich model may well describe adsorption-desorption of methiopyrisulfuron on organic amendments, the natural soil, and amended soils. Organic amendments could not only greatly increase the adsorption capacity of methiopyrisulfuron, but also significantly enhance the hysteresis of desorption of methiopyrisulfuron. The correlations between Kf_ads and organic matter content of amended soils were significant, and the correlations between H and soil organic matter in amended soils with PE, SS, and HA were significant too. The results of soil column experiments indicated that organic amendments greatly decreased leaching of methiopyrisulfuron. This study suggested that PE, SS, and HA could greatly influence environmental behavior of methiopyrisulfuron in soils. Use of organic amendments might be an effective management practice for controlling potential pollution of methiopyrisulfuron to environment.

Optimization of Diesel and Crude Oil Degradation in a Ghanaian Soil Using Organic Wastes as Amendment

Soil contamination by hydrocarbons poses numerous environmental, health and agricultural problems. The degradation of these pollutants can occur naturally but very slowly. It is therefore generally necessary to stimulate this degradation by different means. Thus, this study aimed to improve the bio-degradation of diesel and crude oil in a Ghanaian soil by biostimulation. For this, the sampled soil was characterized by standard methods and contaminated with diesel and crude oil at a proportion of 1% (w/w). Then, contaminated soil samples were supplemented with biochar-compost, poultry manure or cow dung at the proportion of 10% (w/w). Periodically, fractions of these samples were taken to evaluate the density of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) and the residual quantities of diesel or crude oil. The characteristics of the soil used show the need for supplementation for better degradation of hydrocarbons. The results of the study show that supplementing the soil with organic substrates increases HUB loads in soils contaminated by diesel and crude oil. They also show that the residual quantities of diesel and crude oil are generally significantly lower in supplemented soils (p = 0.048 and p < 0.0001 respectively). In addition, the study shows that degradation was generally greater in soils contaminated by diesel compared to those contaminated by crude oil, especially at the end of the study.

Plant Cover and Soil Biochemical Properties in a Mine Tailing Pond Five Years After Application of Marble Wastes and Organic Amendments

Tailing ponds pose environmental hazards, such as toxic metals which can contaminate the surroundings through wind and water erosions and leaching. Various chemical and biochemical properties, together with extractable and soluble metals were measured five years after reclamation of a polluted soil affected by former mining activities. This abandoned mine site contains large amounts of Fe-oxyhydroxides, sulphates, and heavy metals. As a consequence, soils remain bare and the soil organic matter content is low （〈 3 g kg-1）. Marble waste, pig manure and sewage sludge were applied in 2004. Plant cover and richness, and soil chemical, biochemical and biological parameters were analysed five years later. Results showed that all soil biochemical properties as well as vegetation cover and richness were higher in treated soils than in the untreated contaminated plots （control）, although organic matter, pH values and extractable metals concentrations were similar among treatments. Soluble cadmium and zinc were lower in the amended plots than in control.

Organic amendment effects on nematode distribution within aggregate fractions in agricultural soils

To evaluate the effect of organic amendments on soil nematode community composition and diversity within aggregate fractions,a study was initiated in agricultural soils with four-year organic amendments.Soil samples were collected from the plow layer(0-20 cm)under three cornfield management scenarios:1)conventional cropping(CK,corn straw removal and no organic manure application);2)straw retention(SR,incorporation of chopped corn stalk);and 3)manure application(MA,chicken manure input).The soil samples were fractionated into four aggregate sizes,i.e.,>2 mm(large macroaggregates),1-2 mm(macroaggregates),0.25-1 mm(small macroaggregates),and<0.25 mm(microaggregates,silt and clay fractions).The composition and diversity of soil nematode communities were determined within each aggregate fraction.The results showed that both SR and MA treatments significantly increased the percentage of macroaggregates(>1 mm)and only MA treatment strongly increased the mean weight diameter compared to the CK(P<0.05).The abundance of total nematodes and four trophic groups were affected significantly by the aggregate fractions and their higher abundance occurred in the larger aggregates.The effects of aggregate size on most nematode genera were significant.Bacterivores in the small macroaggregates and microaggregates,and fungivores in the large macroaggregates were significantly different among treatments.The percentage of bacterivores increased after the application of organic materials,while that of fungivores decreased.It can be concluded that organic management significantly affects soil aggregation and soil characteristics within aggregates,and the aggregate size subsequently influences the distribution of nematode communities.

Impact of short-term organic amendments incorporation on soil structure and hydrology in semiarid agricultural lands

Soil structure plays an important role in edaphic conditions and the environment. In this study, we investigated the effects of organic amendment on soil structure and hydraulic properties. A corn field in a semiarid land was separately amended with sheep manure compost at five different rates (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 t/ha) and corn stover (6 t/ha) in combination with two decomposing agents. The soil structure of different amended soils was analyzed from the aggregate and pore domain perspectives. The internal pore structure of the soil was visualized through X-ray computed tomography and quantified using a pore-network model. Soil aggregate-size distribution and stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water-retention curves were measured by sampling or in situ. The gas permeability and diffusivity of different amended soils were simulated based on the extracted pore networks. The aggregate stability of the amended soils was improved compared with the control, that is, the mean weight diameter increased and the percentage of aggregate destruction decreased. The stability of soil aggregates varied non-monotonically with the application rate of compost and decreased after treatment with corn stover and decomposing agents. The pore-network parameters including air-filled porosity, pore radius, throat length, and coordinate number increased for the amended soils compared with the control. The mean pore size increased with increasing compost incorporation rate. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of the compost-amended soils was higher than that of the control but varied quadratically with the application rate. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil treated with corn stover and decomposing agents was clearly higher than that without the agent and the control. The greater gas diffusivity and air permeability indicate that soil aeration improved following the incorporation of organic amendments. The air permeability versus air-filled porosity relationship followed a power law, and the gas diffusivity versus air-filled porosity relationship was characterized by a generalized density-corrected model regardless of amendment. The findings of this study can help improve the understanding of soil structure and hydrological function to organic fertilizer incorporation and further monitor the quality of soil structure through the pore space perspective.

Effects of organic amendments on soil properties and growth characteristics of Melon(Cucumis melo L.)under saline irrigation

Establishing strategies of organic amendments application to mitigate the adverse effects of saline irrigation are essential for the sustainable agriculture.A two-year pot experiment was conducted using combinations of organic amendments including effective microorganisms(EM),biochar(BC)and digestate(Di)to investigate their effects on soil and melon(Cucumis melo L.)compared with the recommended NPK fertilizer and Control(CK)under two levels of irrigation water salinity(SL0:0.25 dS/m,SL1:2.0 dS/m).Results showed combined applications of organic amendments could significantly(p<0.05)increase soil pH and organic matter(OM)compared to NPK and CK.Application of organic amendments containing BC evidently increased the sodium adsorptive capacity(SAC)under saline water solution.The combined application of EM,BC and Di(EM+BC+Di)could significantly(p<0.05)improve soil available water retention under SL0 and SL1 compared with other treatments.Results also showed organic amendments application can significantly(p<0.05)enhance the photosynthetic rate(Pr)and reduce sodium ion(Na+)content in melon leaves.EM+BC+Di could significantly(p<0.05)increase water use efficiency(WUE)and fruit yield of melon under SL0 and SL1 in comparison to other treatments.It proved that EM+BC+Di had a positive effect on soil improvement,melon growth,WUE and fruit yield.Moreover,EM+BC+Di could be used as an alternative strategy for mineral NPK fertilization of melon at reasonable dosages and frequencies under saline irrigation.

Fertilization and Soil Ploughing Practices under Changing Physical Environment Lead to Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics under Conservation Agriculture in Rice-Wheat Cropping System: A Scoping Review

Ploughing and fertilization practices in rice-wheat system have deteriorated the soil carbon (C) pools. Conservation agriculture (CA) based management approaches have proven to enhance C sequestration and reverse the loss of soil-organic-carbon (SOC), which further enhances soil fertility. Different fractions of SOC pools react to the alterations in management practices and indicate changes in SOC dynamics as compared to total C in the soil. Higher SOC levels in soil have been observed in case of reduced/no-till (NT) practices than conventional tillage (CT). However, between CT and zero tillage/NT, total SOC stocks diminished with an increase in soil depth, which demonstrated that the benefits of SOC are more pronounced in the topsoil under NT. Soil aggregation provides physical protection to C associated with different-sized particles, thus, the improvement in soil aggregation through CA is an effective way to mitigate soil C loss. Along with less soil disturbance, residual management, suitable crop rotation, rational application of manures and fertilizers, and integrated nutrient management have been found to be effective in not only improving soil C stock but also enhancing the soil health and productivity. Thus, CA can be considered as a potential method in the build-up of SOC of soil in rice-wheat system.

Soil organic matter amendments in date palm groves of the Middle Eastern and North African region:a mini-review

Countries in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region are among the most water-scarce regions in the world, and their dryland soils are usually poor in organic carbon content (<0.5%). In this study, we summarize examples of how people in the few oases of the MENA region overcome environmental challenges by sustainably managing economically important date production. On the basis of the limited studies found in the existing literature, this mini-review focuses on the role of traditional soil organic matter amendments beneath the soil surface as a key tool in land restoration. We conclude that soil organic matter amendments can be very successful in restoring soil water and preventing the soil from salinization.

Dynamics of organic carbon and nitrogen in deep soil profile and crop yields under long-term fertilization in wheat-maize cropping system

Soil organic carbon(SOC)and nitrogen(N)are two of the most important indicators for agricultural productivity.The primary objective of this study was to investigate the changes in SOC and N in the deep soil profile(up to 100 cm)and their relationships with crop productivity under the influence of long-term(since 1990)fertilization in the wheat-maize cropping system.Treatments included CK(control),NP(inorganic N and phosphorus(P)fertilizers),NPK(inorganic N,P and potassium fertilizers),NPKM(NPK plus manure),and M(manure).Crop yield and the properties of topsoil were measured yearly from 2001 to 2009.C and N contents were measured at five different depths in 2001 and 2009.The results showed that wheat and maize yields decreased between 2001 and 2009 under the inorganic fertilizer(NP and NPK)treatments.The average yield between 2001 and 2009 under the NP,NPK,NPKM,and M treatments(compared with the CK treatment)increased by 38,115,383,and 381%,respectively,for wheat and 348,891,2738,and 1845%,respectively,for maize.Different long-term fertilization treatments significantly changed coarse free particulate(cf POC),fine free particulate(ff POC),intramicroaggregate particulate(i POC),and mineral-associated(m SOC)organic carbon fractions.In the experimental years of 2001 and 2009,soil fractions occurred in the following order for all treatments:m SOC>cf POC>i POC>ff POC.All fractions were higher under the manure application treatments than under the inorganic fertilization treatments.Compared to the inorganic fertilization treatments,manure input enhanced the stocks of SOC and total N in the surface layer(0–20 cm)but decreased SOC and N in the deep soil layer(80–100 cm).This reveals the efficiency of manure in increasing yield productivity and decreasing risk of vertical loss of nutrients,especially N,compared to inorganic fertilization treatments.The findings provide opportunities for understanding deep soil C and N dynamics,which could help mitigate climate change impact on agricultural production and maintain soil health.

Microbial community structure and functional metabolic diversity are associated with organic carbon availability in an agricultural soil

Exploration of soil environmental characteristics governing soil microbial community structure and activity may improve our understanding of biogeochemical processes and soil quality. The impact of soil environmental characteristics especially organic carbon availability after 15-yr different organic and inorganic fertilizer inputs on soil bacterial community structure and functional metabolic diversity of soil microbial communities were evaluated in a 15-yr fertilizer experiment in Changping County, Beijing, China. The experiment was a wheat-maize rotation system which was established in 1991 including four different fertilizer treatments. These treatments included： a non-amended control（CK）, a commonly used application rate of inorganic fertilizer treatment（NPK）; a commonly used application rate of inorganic fertilizer with swine manure incorporated treatment（NPKM）, and a commonly used application rate of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw incorporated treatment（NPKS）. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis（DGGE） of the 16 S r RNA gene was used to determine the bacterial community structure and single carbon source utilization profiles were determined to characterize the microbial community functional metabolic diversity of different fertilizer treatments using Biolog Eco plates. The results indicated that long-term fertilized treatments significantly increased soil bacterial community structure compared to CK. The use of inorganic fertilizer with organic amendments incorporated for long term（NPKM, NPKS） significantly promoted soil bacterial structure than the application of inorganic fertilizer only（NPK）, and NPKM treatment was the most important driver for increases in the soil microbial community richness（S） and structural diversity（H）. Overall utilization of carbon sources by soil microbial communities（average well color development, AWCD） and microbial substrate utilization diversity and evenness indices（H＇ and E） indicated that long-term inorganic fertilizer with organic amendments incorporated（NPKM, NPKS） could significantly stimulate soil microbial metabolic activity and functional diversity relative to CK, while no differences of them were found between NPKS and NPK treatments. Principal component analysis（PCA） based on carbon source utilization profiles also showed significant separation of soil microbial community under long-term fertilization regimes and NPKM treatment was significantly separated from the other three treatments primarily according to the higher microbial utilization of carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, polymers, phenolic compounds, and amino acid, while higher utilization of amines/amides differed soil microbial community in NPKS treatment from those in the other three treatments. Redundancy analysis（RDA） indicated that soil organic carbon（SOC） availability, especially soil microbial biomass carbon（Cmic） and Cmic/SOC ratio are the key factors of soil environmental characteristics contributing to the increase of both soil microbial community structure and functional metabolic diversity in the long-term fertilization trial. Our results showed that long-term inorganic fertilizer and swine manure application could significantly improve soil bacterial community structure and soil microbial metabolic activity through the increases in SOC availability, which could provide insights into the sustainable management of China＇s soil resource.

Exploration of Distinct Physiological and Biochemical Alterations in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under Varying Organic Materials, Drought and Proline Application

Chickpea yield is decreasing day by day due to drought stress,which could be an immense risk for future food security in developing countries.Management practices could be the most excellent approach to diminish loss due to this abiotic factor.The current research work was designed to explore the tolerance reaction of chickpea genotypes against management practices,through morphological and biochemical parameters and evaluate yield performance across drought prone location of Bangladesh.Four genotypes BD-6048,BD-6045,BD-6090,BD-6092 and eight management practices,e.g.,severe water stress(SWS),i.e.,without irrigation,10 cm thick mulching with rice straw(MRS),10 cm thick mulching with water hyacinth(MWH),organic amendment through compost(OAC)@3 t ha−1,organic amendment through cow dung@5 t ha−1(OACD),organic amendment through poultry manure@2 t ha−1(OAPM),inorganic amendment through proline application(IAPA)as foliar spray and 16 h hydro-priming(HP).The study revealed that the genotypes BD-6048 showed excellent performance because of the highest chlorophyll,carotenoids,phosphorus,potassium,proline and protein content.The highest pod number plant−1 also increased seed yield in BD-6048.Considering management practices,IAPA increased relative water content,carotenoids,leaf phosphorus and potassium compared to other management practices and severe water stress.Finally,BD-6084 was selected as best genotype because of a significant increase in chlorophyll a and b,carotenoids,and relative water content with IAPA.Identified top performing genotypes can be used for releasing variety and cultivated for sustainable production in drought prone area of Bangladesh.

Effect of Amended Organic Media and Different Concentrations of Seaweed Extract on the Growth and Flowering of Periwinkle （Vinca rosea） Plant

A pot research has been conducted in Horticultural Department Nursery, Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry, Duhok University, during the period of May 15, 2012-Sep. 1, 2012. The study involved in testing the effects of two amended organic media （loam ＋ sheep manure and loam ＋ peat moss （1：1）） and different concentrations of seaweed （sea force 2） extract including （0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 mL/L） on growth and flowering of Periwinkle （Vinca rosea） plant. The results showed that growing vinca plants in peat moss medium and spraying sea force 2 extract with low concentrations especially 0.5 mL/L resulted in positive significant difference in vegetative and flowering characteristics.

Microbiological parameters and maturity degree during composting of Posidonia oceanica residues mixed with vegetable wastes in semi-arid pedo-climatic condition

The aim of this study was to characterize the biological stability and maturity degree of compost during a controlled pile-composting trial of mixed vegetable residues （VR） collected from markets of Tunis City with residues of Posidonia oceanica （PoR）, collected from Tunis beaches. The accumulation in beaches （as well as their removal） constitutes a serious environmental problem in all Mediterranean countries particularly in Tunisia. Aerobic-thermophilic composting is the most reasonable way to profit highly-valuable content of organic matter in these wastes for agricultural purposes. The physical, chemical, and biological parameters were monitored during composting over 150 d. The most appropriate parameters were selected to establish the maturity degree. The main result of this research was the deduction of the following maturity criterion： （a） C/N ratio 〈 15; （b） NH4^＋-N 〈 400 mg/kg; （c） CO2-C 〈 2000 mg CO2-C/kg; （d） dehydrogenase activity 〈 1 mg TPF/g dry matter; （e） germination index （GI） 〉 80%. These five parameters, considered jointly are indicative of a high maturity degree and thus of a high-quality organic amendment which employed in a rational way, may improve soil fertility and soil quality. The mature compost was relatively rich in N （13.0 g/kg）, P （4.74 g/kg） and MgO （15.80 g/kg）. Thus composting definitively constitutes the most optimal option to exploit these wastes.

Study of the Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Methacompost from a Poultry Company in Ivory Coast: Test for Growing Big Sun Chilli

The objective of this work was to determine the suitability of poultry methacompost from the 2nd methanizer of the BRIN FOUNDATION in Yaokokoroko (Bondoukou, Côte d’Ivoire), to be used in the improvement of soil fertility. The methacompost studied has a C/N ratio = 17.26, which could characterize a stable methacompost with high amending power. It also contains mineral elements Nitrogen (N) = 0.68% DM;Phosphorus (P) = 0.084% DM;Potassium (K) = 0.67% DM;Calcium (Ca) = 0.65% DM;Magnesium (Mg) = 0.15% DM. red in the standard relating to the organic amendments (NFU 44-051). The methacompost has fertilizing and amending properties and could not present any risk for vegetation and soils.

Sensitivity of Labile Soil Organic Carbon Pools to Long-Term Fertilizer, Straw and Manure Management in Rice-Wheat System

Labile soil organic carbon （SOC） pools, estimated through chemical fractionation techniques, are considered sensitive indicators of management-induced changes in quality and composition of soil organic matter. Although the impacts of organic manure and crop residue applications on C sequestration in rice-wheat system are fairly well documented, their influence on labile SOC pools is relatively less known. Impacts of organic manure, rice straw, and inorganic fertilizer nitrogen （N） applications on soil total organic carbon （TOC） and SOC pools including water-extractable organic C （WEOC）, hot water-soluble organic C （HWOC）, potassium permanganate- oxidizable organic C （KMnO4-C）, microbial biomass C （MBC）, mineralizable organic C （Cmin）, and the oxidizable fractions of decreasing oxidizability （easily-oxidizable, oxidizable, and weakly-oxidizable） were investigated in an ll-year field experiment under rice-wheat system. The field experiment included treatments of different combinations of farmyard manure, rice straw, and fertilizer N application rates, with C inputs estimated to be in the range from 23 to 127 Mg ha-1. After 11 years of experiment, WEOC, HWOC, and KMnO4-C were 0.32%-0.50%, 2.2%-3.3%, and 15.0%-20.6% of TOC, respectively. The easily-oxidizable, oxidizable, and weakly-oxidizable fractions were 43%-57%0, 22%-27%, and 10%-19% of TOC, respectively. The applications of farmyard manure and rice straw improved WEOC, HWOC, KMnO4-C, easily-oxidizable fraction, Cmin, and MBC, though the rates of change varied considerably from -14% to 145% and -1170 to 83% of TOC, respectively. At the C input levels between 29 and 78 Mg C ha-1 during the ll-year period, the greatest increase was observed in WEOC and the minimum in KMnO4-C. Water-extractable organic C exhibited a relatively greater sensitivity to management than TOC, suggesting that it may be used as a sensitive indicator of management-induced changes in soil organic matter under rice-wheat system. All the other labile SOC pools exhibited almost the same sensitivity to management as TOC. Most of the SOC pools investigated were positively correlated to each other though their amounts differed considerably. Long-term applications of farmyard manure and rice straw resulted in build-up of not only the labile but also the recalcitrant pool of SOC, emphasizing the need for continued application of organic amendments for permanence of the accrued C under the experimental conditions.