Farmyard manure, plant based organic fertilisers, inorganic fertiliser - which sustains soil organic matter best?

摘要

Legume biomass or pulse meal may be considered as alternatives to farmyard manure (FYM) in organic farms with small scale animal husbandry or in stockless organic farms. In 1996, a field trial was established on a poor sandy soil (Orthic Luvisol) in Darmstadt, Germany, to compare plant based organic fertilizers, farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilizers, each applied at 100 kg ha-1. Additionally, FYM was tested at a higher rate of 170 kg ha-1. Average soil organic carbon content in the topsoil (Corg) of the last crop rotation period (2002-05) was compared to that in 1996. Corg remained at the same level of 0.78% only with FYM, while plant-based and inorganic fertilizer decreased carbon contents to 0.74 and 0.72% Corg, respectively. The higher FYM rate increased Corg up to 0.84%. Based on these results, for soil organic matter maintenance, plant-based organic fertilizers can not be recommended generally..