Influence of compost application on soil surface without incorporation on selected soil properties

Marley Whanda Figueroa Jimenez

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Summary Soil is a vital natural resource that supports diverse ecosystems and is crucial for agriculture and the environment, however, soil degradation is a major concern around the world. The concern increased, too, in Czech Republic due to intensive land use and management practices, which have led to soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and compaction. There are many practices that can be implemented to improve soil quality, ranging from natural methods to modern technologies, one of them is the use of compost as a natural amendment. Compost application and specifically, compost without incorporation is a method of applying the amendment over the surface without physically mixing it with the soil. Instead, the compost is applied as a mulch on the soil surface, where it slowly decomposes and releases nutrients into the soil. This thesis project aims to investigate the impact of compost application without incorporation on selected physical properties of soil, including soil organic matter content, saturated hydraulic conductivity, aggregate stability, and soil water content. This study was conducted in three localities Jevíčko, Velké Hostěrádky, and Praha-Uhříněves, which are presented as semi-operational experimental fields where maize and grain are the crops. Seventy-seven undisturbed representative soil samples were collected from control plots and plots treated with surface-applied compost as mulch into Kopecky rings, and corresponding amount of disturbed soil. Upon conducting statistical data analysis, it was determined that the application of compost without incorporation to the soil in treated parcels had a positive impact on soil physical properties. This was evident in the increase observed in all analyzed parameters, including saturated hydraulic conductivity, water content, aggregate stability, and soil organic matter content, across all three localities. These findings have important implications for the development of sustainable soil management strategies that can effectively address issues related to soil degradation and support agricultural production.

Keywords

Compost application without incorporation, Saturated hydraulic conductivity, Organic matter content, Soil moisture, Aggregate stability.

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 18. 4. 2023

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 15. 5. 2023
• Supervisor: Ing. Markéta Miháliková, Ph.D.
• Reader: Jarmila Čechmánková, externi

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources

Master programme:
Natural Resources and Environment