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Exploring Soil-Tree Interactions After Applying Organic Matter Amendments To Peach Orchards In The Subtropical Climate Of The Southeastern United States, Brian Lawrence
All Dissertations
Soil disturbance from the cultivation and intensive management of orchards in hot and humid subtropical climates can reduce soil organic matter (OM). This research explored how the addition of OM amendments impact soil and tree parameters in two field studies and how proximity to OM may elicit unique genomic response of peach roots in a split-root pot study. The first field study applied two rates of compost (1x and 2x) and subsequently reduced fertilizer applications annually to a virgin and replant orchard location. While both compost rates successfully replaced fertilizers, only the 2x rate in the replant location increased soil …
Going Back To The Soil: An Integrated Approach To Farming., Renée V. Christie
Going Back To The Soil: An Integrated Approach To Farming., Renée V. Christie
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
Agricultural productivity is often constrained by nutrient availability; as such, copious amounts of synthetic fertilizers are applied to maintain productivity. However, the intensive use of synthetic fertilizers has reduced the capacity of the soil to carry out crucial roles such as nutrient cycling because of shifts in the microbial community composition and structure. In addition, much of the applied synthetic fertilizers become lost to the environment through run-off, which contributes to soil degradation. With the increasing demand on agricultural systems to provide food and fibre and the adverse impacts of agricultural production on the soil resource, amendments that support soil …
Assessing Kiln-Produced Hardwood Biochar For Improving Soil Health In A Temperate Climate Agricultural Soil, Emily J. Cole
Assessing Kiln-Produced Hardwood Biochar For Improving Soil Health In A Temperate Climate Agricultural Soil, Emily J. Cole
Doctoral Dissertations
Soil quality has become a major factor used in assessing sustainable land management and the overall environmental quality, food security, and economic viability of agricultural lands. Recently, biochar has been touted as having many potential uses as a soil amendment for improving soil quality, specifically improving cation exchange capacity, pH and nutrient availability. However, soil biology also plays a significant role in biogeochemical processes that influence soil health and should be included in a more comprehensive study of soil health. This dissertation describes 4 projects within the same 3-year field study with the cumulative purpose of better understanding the effect …