Studying the Effect of Chemical and Organic Fertilizer Application on Soil Quality

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

R. Mirkhani

F. Moshiri

A. Ghaffarinejad

H. Rezaei

Soil and Water Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Alborz, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jsw.2025.95005.1494

Abstract

Introduction
 Soil quality plays a very important role in crop production. Quantitative and rapid assessment of soil quality provides the possibility of timely evaluation of the effect of management methods, including fertilization management, on soil conditions. In order to study the state of soil quality, it is necessary to use characteristics that represent dynamic soil quality that are sensitive and effective to land use changes and various management practices. In order to investigate the effects of the combined use of organic and chemical fertilizers on soil quality, this research was conducted in the form of randomized complete blocks in with 9 treatments and three replications in the Alborz province.
 
Materials and Methods
 This research was conducted in plots with an area of 200 square meters in the Alborz province. Fertilizer treatments included: 1) fallow, 2) control (without using fertilizer), 3) application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers based on soil test, 4) application of 20 tons of cow manure every two years + application of 75% of the recommended amount of nitrogen + application of 50% of the recommended amount of phosphorus and potassium, 5) application of 20 tons of compost every two years + application of 75% of the recommended amount of nitrogen + application of 50% of the recommended amount of phosphorus and potassium, 6) annual application of 20 tons of cow manure + application 75% of the recommended amount of nitrogen, 7) annual application of 20 tons of compost + application of 75% of the recommended amount of nitrogen, 8) annual application of 20 tons of cow manure, 9) annual application of 20 tons of compost. After sampling the soil at the end of each crop and measuring the properties of pH, electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon, available phosphorus and potassium, bulk density, mean weighted diameter, cumulative soil quality index (SQI) and nemero quality index (NQI) were calculated. Finally, changes in soil quality indicators due to different management practices of organic and chemical fertilizers were evaluated.
 
Results and Discussion
 According to the results, there was a significant difference between the treatments in the studied indices in all years, which indicated the effect of different treatments on soil quality. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the years. In the second and third years, the highest wheat yield in the studied treatments was related to treatment 7 (annual application of 20 tons of waste compost + application of 75% of the recommended nitrogen amount) with values of 3833 kg/ha (first year), 6733 kg/ha (second year) and 5211 kg/ha (third year). This resulted in increases of 44%, 105%, and 131% compared to the control treatment (without fertilizer) in the first, second, and third years, respectively. The combined application treatments of organic and chemical fertilizers (4, 5, 6 and 7) had a significant increase compared to the chemical fertilizer application treatment (treatment 3) and the organic fertilizer application treatment (treatments 8 and 9). Moreover, there was no significant difference between the combined application treatments of organic and chemical fertilizers (treatments 4, 5, 6 and 7). In addition, all treatments had a significant increase compared to the control treatment (treatment 2), which indicates the effect of the combined application of organic fertilizers with chemical fertilizers in improving soil quality and wheat yield. In the third year, there was a significant correlation between yield and soil quality indices (p<0.01), which indicates the effect of increasing soil quality due to increasing organic matter and chemical fertilizers on increasing wheat yield.
 
Conclusion
 The results showed that there was a significant difference between the treatments in the studied indices, but there was no significant difference between different years. The combined application treatments of organic and chemical fertilizers significantly increased wheat yield compared to the chemical fertilizer application treatment and the organic fertilizer application treatments, while there was no significant difference between the combined application treatments of organic and chemical fertilizers. In addition, compared to the control (without fertilizer), all treatments showed a significant increase. In the third year, there was a significant correlation between wheat yield and soil quality indices.

Keywords

Compost

Cow manure

Fertilization management

Nemero quality index

Subjects

• Soil science

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Authors retain the copyright. This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

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