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Agricultural University of Tirana
Faculty of Agriculture
and Environment
University of Prishtina
Faculty of Agriculture
and Veterinary Sciences
Agricultural University of Plovdiv
Department of Agrochemistry
and Soil Sciences
Corvinus University of Budapest
Department of Ecological
and Sustainable Production
University of Sarajevo
Faculty of Agriculture
and Food Sciences
Research Institute of
Organic Agriculture
Switzerland
SNF/SCOPES
Joint Bachelor Course on Organic Agriculture 2014
Lecture 5: Soil ferility and organic
fertilizers in organic farming
Ivan Manolov 1 (Agricultural University, Plovdiv),
Ardian Maci 2 (Agricultural University of Tirana)
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Changings of soil pH depending on agricultural
systems
5,4
5,6
5,8
6
6,2
6,4
6,6
6,8
1977 1978-1984 1985-1991 1992-1998
So
il p
H (
H2O
)
BIODYN
BIOORG
CONFYM
CONMIN
Source: Fließbach et al., 2007, Agr Ecosys Environ, 118
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Soil properties in agricultural systems (DOK long term
trial) Source: Mäder, Fließbach et al., 2002, Science 296
0
50
100
150
Percolation stability
Aggregate stability
Bulk density
A Physical
BIODYN
BIOORG
CONFYM
CONMIN
100
200
Microbial biomass
Dehydro-genase
Protease
Phosphatase
Saccharase
Mycorrhiza
C Microbial
0
50
100
150pH
Organic carbon
Phosphorus
Potassium
Calcium
Magnesium
B Chemical
0
0
100
200
Earthworm biomass
Earthworm abundance
CarabidsStaphilinids
Spiders
D Faunal
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DOK: soil microbial biomass
Long-term average (1995-2002)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200S
oil
mic
rob
ial
bio
mass
(kg
Cm
ic h
a-1
)
NOFERT
CONMIN
BIODYN
BIOORG
CONFYM
a
b
c
d d
calculated for 0-20cm at average density of 1.4 g cm-3
Source: Maeder, FiBL, 2012
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Rhizosphere
Contact zone between roots and soil
› Abundance of bacteria around root tip
Zone around roots rich on:
› Organic matter released from the roots, which is abundant food for soil biota Soil micro-organisms
Roots exude mucigel
› Mixture of organic compounds
› Nutrition and energy for MO
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Earthworms › Important soil fertility indicator
› Soil acidity tolerance until pH< 5
› Processing plant residues
› Forming water stable soil aggregates
› Incorporate OM in soil
› Enrich topsoil with nutrients and humus
› Cultivating soil by creating channels › Facilitating drainage
› Allow roots explore grow deeper, along nutrient occurrence
1. Lumbricus terrestris
2. Allobophora caliginosa
Source : Brady, The nature and properties of soils. 1974
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Compost
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green brown
Fresh (straw)
manure
Straw
Rotted manures Cornstalks
Grass clippings and
Green leaves
Dried leaves
Lawn & garden
weeds
Sawdust, wood,
paper
Food wastes Hardwood bark
Fruit wastes Softwood bark
Alfalfa hay Peat moss
Clover herbage Branches
Urine (cattle or
sheep)
Rice hulls
Blood meal Newspaper
Coffee grounds Pine Needles http://www.norganics.com/applications/cnratio.pdf
http://www.homecompostingmadeeasy.com/carbonnitrogenratio.html
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Compost materials
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Green and brown components for
building up compost heaps
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Approaches to soil fertilization
Conventional
› Provide required nutrients to each crop in a soluble form that
plants can use immediately (high input)
Organic
› Provide required nutrients by decomposition of organic matter
and natural chemical breakdown of these materials putting the
nutrients into forms that are available to crops.
› No chemical nitrogen fertilizers
› No molluscicides
› Manure should be mixed in the soil
› Grass-clover mixtures are common in organic rotations
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DOK experiment
Source: Maeder, FiBL, 2012
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Organic Conventional (Integrated)
BIODYN bio-
dynamic
BIOORG bio-organic
CONFYM conventional
CONMIN mineral
Composted
FYM and Slurry
Rotted FYM and
slurry
rockdust
Mixed FYM and
slurry
NPK
Mineral
NPK
Mechanical weed control
Indirect disease control
Biocontrol for pests
Herbicides (thresholds)
Fungicides (thresholds)
Diodynamic
preparations
Copper-sulphate Insecticides (thresholds)
Plant growth regulators
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Organic fertilizers – benefits
› Physical
› Soil stability (soil aggregates, erosion)
› Increase soil porosity (aeration)
› Improves water holding capacity
› Bio-chemical
› Cation exchange capacity (CEC)
› Nutrient availability
› Provide nutrients (macro and micro elements)
› Stimulate micro flora and fauna
› Protects plants from disease
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Source: http://www.chesterfieldfarmsorganic.com/15-2/
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Organic fertilizers
Soil structure:
bio-dynamic with
composted
manure
Soil structure:
conventional
without manure
Fo
tos
: F
lie
ss
ba
ch
No
v. 2
00
2
Source: Maeder, FiBL, 2012
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Farm Yard Manure FYM
› Animal excrements, urine and bedding materials (straw)
› Varying quantities, decomposition stages, livestock
diets cause range of nutrient composition in FYM
› Impacting conditions
› Type and age of animals
› Type of forage and food
› Concentrated food: more excrements (P-rich)
› Juicy forages: more urine (N and K-rich)
› Bedding material
› Enriched with nutrients
› High usage per livestock unit per day
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On-farm fertilization
soil forage crops
livestock manure and
compost
mineral elements
Nutritional cycle on farms
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On-farm fertilization
› On-farm fertilizer supply in organic agriculture possible
› Fertilizing schedule and outline
› Sufficient and optimal nutrient use of manure resources
› Priority to manure resources
› Crops, costly to grow and harvest
› Cash crops (vegetable), field crops, roughage
› For livestock production
› fodder crops
› Fruit crops and vineyards
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Nutrient content of FYM
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Nu
trie
nt
co
nte
nt
,kg
t-1
du
ng
Source: Dr Popp presentation, IPNI project fertilizer recommendations, 2013
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Manure composting
Advantages
› Cost-efficient application
› Less volume and mass
› Directly applicable
› Uniform application
› Org. N and P availability
› Reduced/no NH3-loss
› More Humus
› Increased CEC
› Reduced viable weed seeds
› Reduces pathogens
› No suppress of seed germination
Disadvantages
› Loss of nitrogen as NH3
› Additional costs/input
› Time, labor, machinery, land,
constructions (e.g. impermeable
ground)
› No starter fertilizer effect
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Manure application
EU restrictions on manure application Council Regulation (EC) № 834/2007
› Manure quantity limited to nutrient equivalent of produced manure › by max. 2.5 to 3 grazing livestock units per hectare
› N quantity per hectare from manure › ≤ 170 kg/ha for field crops
› ≤ 210 kg/ha for pastures
› Organic Aim › Use of own livestock manure
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Manure application
› Time
› Autumn before deep tillage
› Early spring before deeper tillage (the most suitable)
› Application before deep tillage allows manure to be located in deeper soil layers
where there is more moisture during summer
› Continuing mineralization of organic matter
› Methods
› Broadcasting - uniformly broadcasting of manure on soil surface
› Side dressing/Band placement (suitable for permanent crops)
› N losses during/after application
› Primarily: volatilization of NH3-N
› Avoid application on hot, dry, windy days
› Reduced if it rains shortly after application and low air temperature
› Best: quick incorporation into the soil (max. 12 hours after application)
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Nutrient content of slurry of different farm animals
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3,53,8 3,8
3,2
1,4 1,51,8
2,1
5,0
5,8
4,2
2,2
1,0 1,0 1,01,3
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Dairy cow slurry -
arable
Dairy cow slurry -
grassland
Cattle slurry Pig slurry
N P2O5 K 2O MgO
Nu
trie
nt
co
nte
nt
,kg
m-3
slu
rry
Source: Dr Popp’s presentation, IPNI project fertilizer recommendations. 2013
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Summary
Nutrition of plants in organic system depend mainly on
natural cycles of nutritional elements
Soil microorganisms play important role for plant nutrition
Living symbiosis with plants (N fixing bacteria and root mycorrhizae).
Nutrients’ delivery (N, P, K, micronutrient) directly in plant roots
Free living soil microorganisms decompose organic matter releasing
available forms of nutrients for the plants (ions).
Organic fertilizers (manure, slurry, composts, green
manures) are important source of energy for soil ecosystem
and nutrients for microorganisms and growing plants.
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Contact information
Dr. Ivan Manolov
Associate professor
Agricultural University, Povdiv
Dept. of Agrochemistry and Soil Science
Mendeleev str 12
Plovdiv 4000
Bulgaria
E-mail: [email protected]
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References
Aggregate Stability
http://soilquality.org/indicators/aggregate_stability.html
Last access: 18th April 2014
Benefits of Mature Compost
http://www.chesterfieldfarmsorganic.com/15-2
Last access: 22nd April 2014
Brady N. (1974) The nature and properties of soils. Macmillan publishing, 639 p.
Carbon to Nitrogen Ratios of Various Waste Materials
http://www.norganics.com/applications/cnratio.pdf
Last access: 22nd April 2014
Classification of soil water
http://www.agriinfo.in/?page=topic&superid=4&topicid=279
Last access: 22nd April 2014
Direct deposition
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/components/7401_02.html
Last access: 8th November 2013
Erksen S., B. Hansen, K. Schmidt, K. Suhr. (2003) Organic farming. Organic Agricultural College,
Denmark, 173 p.
Fließbach A., H-R. Oberholzer, I. Gunst, P. Mader. (2007) Soil organic matter and biological soil quiality
indicators after 21 years of organic and conventional farming, Agr Ecosys Environ, vol. 118, pp. 273-
284.
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References How Compost Happens
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:How_Compost_Happens.gif
Last access: 22nd April 2014
P. Maeder, A. Fliessbach, D. Dubois, L Gunst, P. Fried, U. Niggli. (2002) Science, Vol. 296 no. 5573
pp. 1694-1697
Lampkin N. (1999) Organic farming. Farming Press Miller Freeman House, 715 p.
Maeder, P. (2012) Soil fertility – results of long term trials. PPP. FiBL SCOPE
Manure characteristics
ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/CA/technical/cnmp/certification/manurecharMWPS.pdf
Last access: 22nd April 2014
Popp, T. (2013) Best Management Practices for Sustainable Crop Nutrition in Bulgaria. PPP. IPNI
project
Reganold, J.P., R.I. Papendick and J.F. Parr (1990). Sustainable Agriculture. Scientific American
262, 6:112-120.
Sarapatka B., J. Urban. (2009) Organic Agriculture, IAEL, 338 pp.
Soil organisms
http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0100e/a0100e0d.htm
Last access: 20th March 2014
The Carbon:Nitrogen Ratio
www.homecompostingmadeeasy.com/carbonnitrogenratio.html
Last access: 22nd April 2014
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Acknowledgement
This lesson was prepared within the project
„Advancing training and teaching of organic
agriculture in South-East Europe (Albania, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Hungary)“ ,
funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation
(SNFS) within the SCOPES program 2009-2012
(project No. IZ74Z0_137328).
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