Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/64485
Title: Potential nutrient leaching from calcareous soils amended with sulphur and Fe-EDDHA
Authors: Grech, Mark
Keywords: Calcareous soils -- Malta
Soil amendments -- Malta
Soil fertility -- Malta
Sulfur fertilizers -- Malta
Soil acidification -- Malta
Issue Date: 2020
Citation: Grech, M. (2020). Potential nutrient leaching from calcareous soils amended with sulphur and Fe-EDDHA (Master's dissertation).
Abstract: This study focused on the leaching of various metal ions, NO3- and PO43- from two different soils following the addition of elemental S and Fe-EDDHA. One of the soils, (G) had a courser texture and higher organic matter content than the other (M). 5 kg of soil were placed into plastic pipes having a diameter of 10 cm and a length of 75.5 cm. One third of the pipes had their soils amended with 5 g of Fe-EDDHA; one third with 65g of S and one third were not treated and thus used as controls. Five replicates were set up for each treatment. The soil was watered to field capacity and following an incubation period of 21 days, an additional 500ml of water was applied in order to leach mobile ions. After 3.5 days, the drained water was stored and then analysed. The addition of 500ml water was repeated 3 times with an incubation period starting following sample collection. As expected, a large amount of Fe was leached from the soil amended with Fe-EDDHA. Compared to the other groups, it was evident that the leaching of Fe was significantly affected by the application of the chelating agent. K leaching was higher from the chelating agent treated soil than from the other groups particularly during the third leachate. Conversely, the EC, Sr and Mn content were generally significantly higher in the drain water from the S amended soil. These variations/discrepancies between the groups generally reduced with each leachate gathered. pH and NO3- content in the drain water from the S treated soil was lower than that from the blank controls and from the soil amended with the chelating agent. pH gradually increased with each leachate, returning to original pH within the second/third leaching. The highest P leaching was observed from the S amended soil columns especially during the first leachate. This difference between the groups was particularly pronounced from soil G. Ba leaching was higher from the S treated soil than from the other groups particularly during the third leachate. Ba content decreased with each water application. Cr, Zn and Cu content were extremely low and therefore resulted in negligible leaching and no concrete results could be derived. It seemed likely that Fe EDDHA treated soil affected Fe leaching while S treated soil reduced NO3 leaching. It also seems likely Sr Mn, pH and EC were affected with S treated soil. As a general observation, the loss of each ion seemed to decrease with every water application.
Description: M.SC.RURAL&ENV.SCI.
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/64485
Appears in Collections:Dissertations - InsES - 2020
Dissertations - InsESRSF - 2020

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