Life Sciences Commons^™

The Influences Of Poultry Litter Biochar And Water Source On Radish Growth And Nutrition, Julia Allen, David E. Longer, Edward E. Gbur, Lichen Hao

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Many row-crop fields today have declined in soil fertility due to poor management practices and overuse of pesticides. Under these conditions, plant nutrient uptake can be sub-optimal. There are several soil amendments that can be used to improve soil quality and plant growth. This study focused on the addition of biochar to the soil and the use of structured water to enhance plant growth. Biochar is produced by pyrolysis of organic feedstocks. Previous studies which focused on biochar have shown an increase in plant yield, nutrient availability in the soil, and soil water holding capacity. Structured water is the liquid …

The Influence Of Poultry Litter Biochar On Early Season Cotton Growth, Taylor D. Coomer, David E. Longer, Derrick M. Oosterhuis, Dimitra A. Loka

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Cotton is known for being sensitive to cool, wet soils, especially in the early stages of growth. Amendments to soil can aid cotton seedlings in development and nutrient uptake. However, soil amendments can be costly and detrimental to the environment, and alternatives such as the addition of biochar have been considered. Biochar is produced from biomass that has gone through pyrolysis and has been shown to improve plant yield, microbial response, soil structure, soil cation–exchange capacity, and water use efficiency. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of biochar on early season cotton growth. The aim of this study …

Biological Processes: Relationships Between Earthworms And Soil Temperature, Edwin C. Berry, Jerry K. Radke

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Soil fauna play important roles in many soil processes and conditions which relate to agricultural systems. Earthworms are credited with enhancing soil fertility and soil physical properties by their feeding and burrowing activities. Most research on earthworms has focused on the warmer seasons of the year and relatively little is known about earthworm activity and survival during the portion of the year with frozen soils. Earthworms may survive winter by acclimatization, aestivation, or by burrowing to deeper depths where the soil is not frozen. More research is needed on the fate of earthworms in frozen soils. Suggested research areas include: …

The Role Of Earthworms In Western Australian Agriculture, Tom Mccredie, Lex Parker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Earthworms have a reputation as soil builders and renovators, particularly among 'organic' farmers and gardeners. They improve soil fertility through increased aeration, aggregation, water infiltration and release of nutrients from organic matter. However, the benefits of earthworms in the wheatbelt have been doubted for many years because of their poor survival in cultivated soils.

Since cropping began in the Western Auslmlian whealbelt over 1OO years ago, the physical condition of many soils has deteriorated. The primary causes of soil degradation were the European cultivation practices used by farmers and the trampling effect of introduced animals. in particular, sheep.

Soil Improvement With Bauxite Residues, W H. Tacey, S. C. Ward, K. J. Summers, N. J. Barrow

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The sandy soils of the Peel-Harvey catchment hold water and nutrients very poorly. The Gavin ridges dry out quickly during rainless periods and this severely limits pasture growth. These ridges and the lower lying Joel and Coolup sands also lose a large proportion of the phosphorus, sulfer and potash fertilisers applied to them. Normally the sands lack clay materials to bind and hold the nutrients so rainfall leaches them out.

The Peel-Harvey Study Group, CSIRO, Alcoa and Murdock University have studied the use of a residue from bauxite mining to help overcome these problems. The treated residue has a texture …

Soil And Plant Analysis : A Guide To Fertilizer Usage, Walter Jacob Cox

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Soil and plant analysis can be used to identify problems in soils, diagnose nutrient deficiencies and as a guide to fertiliser usage.

Soil testing is particularily useful where large amounts of phosphorus and potassium are leached or removed from the paddock in hay or silage.

Actual rates of fertiliser can only be recommended from soil testing and only in conjunction with additional biological and economic information.

Kimberley Research Station Progress Report, 1964 : Soil Fertility And Plant Nutrition, D B. Parbery, R. Wetselaar

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

BEFORE 1963, very little work, other than that described in Burvill's original report, had been done on the analysis of Ord soils, nor had their fertility status been clearly defined.