Use of Coir Pith as a Soil Amendment Material

Abstract

In the present study, an attempt has been made to utilize Coir Pith as a soil amendment material. In this context, laterite soil is taken as the base material and coir pith is added to it externally, with variable ratio to carry out soil fortifications. The major demerit in laterite soil is the presence of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are not adequate for any proper plant growth. Thus, there is a need of sufficient amount of fertilizers to be utilized to develop the plant growth. In this context, coir pith waste, which is another agricultural waste, dumped in various areas and in long run creates environmental pollution, has been taken as a medium to enhance the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content of the soil. The result revealed that by addition of coir pith waste, it is possible to produce a more fertile soil in which there is almost no need of addition of any fertilizer further.