Theses and Dissertations

Sosten Lungu

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Rowe, E. Dennis

Committee Member

Tewolde, Haile

Committee Member

Matta, B. Frank

Committee Member

McCarty, C. Jack

Committee Member

Williams, A. Mark

Other Advisors or Committee Members

Cox, S. Michael||Wallace, Ted

Date of Degree

8-9-2008

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Major

Agronomy

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

Abstract

Amending litter with aluminum sulfate (Al-S) has proven to be effective in reducing water-soluble P but there are concerns that it could result in soil pH reduction and increase levels of extractable soil Al if applied to acidic soils. A glasshouse study with soybean (Glycine max, L Merr) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L) as test crops was conducted to determine the impact of applying litter amended with Al-S at 0, 10 and 20% to an acidic sandy loam soil. These treatments were applied to meet N needs of a crop grown in soil with pH levels of 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 6.5. The experimental design was a randomized complete block. Application of BL + 20% Al-S to soil with initial pH of 4.5 or 5.0 significantly decreased the pH compared to BL. The decrease in soil pH with application of BL + 20% Al-S was attributed to high concentrations of geochemically labile Al which released hydrogen ions upon hydrolysis. Both BL and BL + 10% Al-S increased the initial soil pH and decreased extractable soil Al. Application of BL + 20% Al-S resulted in significant higher levels of extractable soil Al than BL and the differences were greater in the lower pH soils. Mehlich-3 extractable soil P, K, Mg, Ca, and Cu decreased with BL + 10 or 20% Al-S relative to BL. Soybean or cotton biomass from BL + 20% Al-S fertilization was significantly decreased relative to BL fertilized soils with initial pH of 4.5 or 5.0. Biomass with BL + 10% Al-S application were not statistically different from those fertilized with BL. Fertilizing cotton or soybean with BL + Al-S decreased tissue Al, N and P concentration. BL and BL + 10% Al-S showed the potential to increase soil pH and reduce extractable soil Al in acid soils but need further field evaluation.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/15277

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