Assessment of the Effects of Carbonized and Uncarbonized Co-Compost-Based Amendments on Soil Properties and Nutrient Uptake in Maize

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Abstract

ABSTRACT

An experiment was conducted at Gumbihini in Tamale, Ghana to determine the effects of carbonized and uncarbonized co-compost-based soil amendments on soil properties, compost stability and nutrient uptake in maize. The experiment consisted of ten treatments which included carbonized rice husk co-compost (R₁), carbonized corn cobs co-compost (M₁), carbonized wood co-compost (S₁), uncarbonized rice husk co-compost  (R₀), uncarbonized corn cobs co-compost (M₀), uncarbonized sawdust co-compost (S₀), sawdust multi-grow compost (G₁), rice husk multi-grow compost (G₂), with two other controls in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. Data was collected on soil properties {Nitrogen; (N), Carbon (C), Phosphorus (P) and pH)}, mass loss of compost and N, C, and P uptake after 4 and 12 weeks of compost amendment in soils. Uncarbonized co-compost gave the highest increase in soil P (71.5%), N (71.8%), and C (57.6%). There was a significant decrease in carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios of 41.2%, in uncarbonized co-compost, 59.3% in carbonized co-compost and 48.9% in multi-grow compost. There was an increase in soil pH from the initial value of 4.92 to 7.17.  At nine months of the litterbags experiment, uncarbonized co-compost had a mass loss of 37.4% and carbonized co-compost and multi-grow had average mass losses of 28.5% and 28.6%, respectively. Plant nutrients uptake was higher (P - 1.9%, N – 1.6%, C – 50.01%) in uncarbonized co-compost than in carbonized co-compost (P – 1.4%, N – 1.3%, C – 48.01%) and Multi-grow (P – 1%, N – 1.3%, C – 48.8%). The long-term effects of carbonized and uncarbonized co-compost on the leaching of nutrients in the agroecosystem need more studies.