The Role of Soil Organic Matter and Manures in Sustainable Nutrient Cycling - Sustainable Management of Soil Organic Matter - page 295

difference (LSD) stated in Table 4.10.2 refers to the interaction between
fertilization type and level ( P < 0.05). With the yield results of different
treatments, a bivariate correlation was calculated according to the method
described by Sokal and Rohlf (1995).

Results and Discussion

SOM content in topsoil was found to be higher with manure than with
mineral fertilization. Table 4.10.2 shows the latest available results of
1998, after 18 years of differentiated fertilization. The highest content was
observed in the treatment with biodynamic preparations. This level is
equivalent to the 1.05% C org analysed by Abele (1987) with a mixed sample
of each field at the beginning of the trial in 1980. Thus, only the organic
fertilizer with biodynamic preparations was able to maintain SOM content
until the present day; applying the same quantities of organic matter but

Table 4.10.1. Nutrient amounts (kg ha − 1 ) applied yearly with solid and liquid manure or mineral
fertilizer (phosphorus, potassium and sulphur amounts in CFM and CFMBD are averages of
5 years; the other values are constant every year).

Low Medium High

Fertilization N P K S N P K S N P K S

CFM
Solid

60 16 76 9 80 21 101 12 100 26 126 15

Liquid 0 0 0 20 1 33 40 2 66

CFMBD
Solid 60 17 81 9 80 23 108 11 100 29 135 14

Liquid 0 0 0 20 1 32 40 2 65

MIN 60 50 75 73 100 75 100 102 140 100 125 132

Table 4.10.2. Organic carbon content (% dry matter) in topsoil after 18 years of manure or
mineral fertilization (mean values of four fields in 1998).

Fertilization CFM CFMBD MIN Average

Low 0.83 0.95 0.79 0.86 a

Medium 0.93 0.99 0.79 0.90 b

High 0.98 1.07 0.80 0.95 c

a 0.91 b a 1.00 c a 0.79 a

Average LSD 05 = 0.05

a,b,c Mean value of either type or level of fertilization with different superscript letters are significantly
different (P< 0.05).