Acid soils have become increasingly big problem for agriculture and landscape areas in recent years. Adequate efficiency cannot be obtained from chemical fertilizers applied to acid soils. So it is necessary to use organic fertilizers. Vermicompost is a good fertilizer in this regard. What are your ideas?
The effect of vermicompost application to soil pH can be multifold. Mostly it depends on the quality of the vermicompost such as pH, CEC, base saturation.
In New Zealand we are vermicomposting some 80,000 to 100,000 t of pulpmill solids per year plus other organic wastes mostly activated sludges from wastewater treatment plants and food processing wastes. Pulp and paper mils are using a significant amount of lime in the pulping process and the pulpmill solids are high in Ca. The pH of the vermicast is neutral pH 7.0 to 7.5 with a high CEC and 100% base saturation. Plus high content of free Ca. Applying the vermicast does increase in the soil pH slightly, but more important increases the CEC and base saturation. The overall pH buffer capacity of the soil is improved.
It is often discussed that the P availability decreases with increased soil pH, but we do not experience this. Vermicompost is rich in organic bound P, contains phosphatase and increases root development which increases P uptake from crops. This will reduce the demand for mineral P fertilisers and reduces the Cd intake through these.
There is much more to this but this is what we and our customers are considering most important.
Hope this helps.
Of course, Vermicompost is an ideal choice to improve not only acidity (due to change in soil electrical conductivity) but also OM of the soil.
Worms eat food scraps, which become compost as they pass through the worm's body. Compost exits the worm through its tail end. This compost can then be used to grow plants. Vermicompost is good for plants because the worms are eating nutrient-rich fruit and vegetable scraps and turning them into nutrient-rich compost.Vermicompost stimulates to influence the microbial activity of soil, increases the availability of oxygen, maintains normal soil temperature, increases soil porosity and infiltration of water, improves nutrient content and increases growth, yield and quality of the plant.The composted organic wastes exert variety of physical, chemical and biochemical influences upon the soil faking the soil a favourable substrate for plant growth. It also removes excessive amounts of heavy metals such as copper and lead and there by served as a means of detroxification. Kumaresan et al. There was a slight decrease of pH due to the organic acids released during the decomposition of the various farm wastes. The EC value was also altered by the organic waste application into the soil. There was a significant increase in the available N status due to the application of the various farm waste materials. The available P status was also significantly increased by the application of the various farm waste materials. The application of organic wastes into soil has considerably increased the available K status also. Compared to composted rumen contents, vermicast was only improved in terms of microbial biomass C, while vermicast leached extract was significantly higher in NH4 -N; PO4 -P, humic acid, bacterial counts and total microbial activity compared to rumen compost extract.
The effect of vermicompost application to soil pH can be multifold. Mostly it depends on the quality of the vermicompost such as pH, CEC, base saturation.
In New Zealand we are vermicomposting some 80,000 to 100,000 t of pulpmill solids per year plus other organic wastes mostly activated sludges from wastewater treatment plants and food processing wastes. Pulp and paper mils are using a significant amount of lime in the pulping process and the pulpmill solids are high in Ca. The pH of the vermicast is neutral pH 7.0 to 7.5 with a high CEC and 100% base saturation. Plus high content of free Ca. Applying the vermicast does increase in the soil pH slightly, but more important increases the CEC and base saturation. The overall pH buffer capacity of the soil is improved.
It is often discussed that the P availability decreases with increased soil pH, but we do not experience this. Vermicompost is rich in organic bound P, contains phosphatase and increases root development which increases P uptake from crops. This will reduce the demand for mineral P fertilisers and reduces the Cd intake through these.
There is much more to this but this is what we and our customers are considering most important.
Hope this helps.
Efectivamente, la calidad del humus de lombriz depende de la materia prima para su elaboración, es decir del sustrato con el cual se alimenta a las lombrices, en la Estación experimental de la Facultad de Agronomía - UMSA, ubicada en la localidad de Patacamaya, La Paz, Bolivia, se obtuvo las mejores características del humus cuando se utiliza fuentes de origen vegetal (residuos de cosecha y deshechos de cocina) y fuentes de origen animal (estiércol de ovino y camélido).
It was reported in many publications that vermicomposting employing earthworm species like Eisenia fetida helps acidic soils to attain neutrality. So it is definitely worth a try
Addition of vermicompost in soil involve multiple reaction improved chemical properties such as CEC, prevent leaching of certain nutrients, improved nutrient content, etc.
Korkmaz Bellitürk; I refer to your question on the role of vermicompost in ameliorating soil acidity. Please find attached two articles that might help.
Humic acid rich vermicompost (HARV) was used to impart plant and soil health as compared to chemical fertilizers (CF), and normal vermicompost (NV) involving pea (Pisum sativum cv. ... Amendment of soil with organic fertilizers improved root nodulation and AMF colonization;
Adition of vermicompost improves soil health, improves CEC, improves soil structure, improves basic cation concentration in the soil then by reducing leaching it improves the pH of the soil as result productivity of acid soil increased.
Vermicompost improves the pH of the soil by contributing cations namely, Ca, Mg, K and Na to soil solution and aluminium ion is held by the organic anion. Then so far soil solution is replaced by the basic cation. The acid contributing Al ion is becoming insoluble.
Dear my colleagues, thank you for your all replies to my question. Best regards.
Also vermicompost increase oxigen level and waterhol ding capacity of the soil and can reduce negative effect of the droughts on yield.
I think you can refer to this paper,
https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/395282
Improving pH and nitrification are important factors for soil fertility.
Thank you for your all friends about their important support to the question.
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