Organic amendment based on vermicompost and compost: differences on soil properties and maize yield

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to study the effect of two vermicomposts [animal (VCD) and vegetal origin (VGF)] and a cotton gin compost (C) at rates of 1780 and 3560 kg fresh organic matter ha⁻¹ for 3 years on an Typic Xerofluvent located near Seville (Spain) on soil biological properties, nutrition (leaf N, P and K concentration, pigments and soluble carbohydrate concentrations) and yield parameters of maize (Zea mays cv. Tundra) crop. All organic waste materials had a positive effect on the soil biological properties, plant nutrition and crop yield parameters, although at the end of the experimental period and at the high organic matter rate, the soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase, urease, β-glucosidase, phosphatase and arylsulfatase activities increased more significantly in the VCD-amended soils (86.4, 85.8, 94.5, 99.3, 70.1 and 63.8%, respectively) respect to the control soil, followed by VGF-amended soils (84.8, 80.6, 92.7, 99.1, 68.3 and 61.6%, respectively) and CC-amended soils (80.5, 75.9, 89.7, 99, 65.7 and 59.9%, respectively). Leaf N, P and K contents and pigments and soluble carbohydrate contents were highest in VCD-amended soils, followed by VGF and CC treatments. Compared with the control soil, the application of VCD in soils at high doses increased the crop yield parameters, followed by VGF and CC treatments. This may have been due to a greater labile fraction of organic matter in the VCD than the VGF and CC, respectively.