Influence of soil amendments on corn root length and soil chemical properties
1997
Zubaidah I. | Syed Omar Syed Rastan | Shamshuddin Jusop
One of the main constraints of corn production on a highly weathered acid soil is aluminium (A1) toxicity. High A1 concentration in acid soils restricts root growth by inhibiting cell elongation and cell division. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of inorganic and organic soil amendments on corn root growth and soil chemical properties. A laboratory experiment was conducted using Bungor series soil (Typic Paleudult) surface sampled (0-20cm) from Puchong farm. Aliquot of the soil (600g) was treatedwith legume residues (1% w/w), chicken manure (1% w/w), GML (4 t ha-1), gypsum (4 t ha-1) and control. The treated soils were moistened at field capacity (0.25 kg H2O kg-1 soil)and allowed to react for 7 days. Corn seeds (Zea mays L.) were sown and after 5 days root length was measured. The results showed that soil amended with GML or chicken manure gave relatively high root length compared to the other treatments. They also increased soil pH and reduced both soil exchangeable A1 and A1-saturation. Chicken manure has an additional ameliorative effect over lime in that it increased soil exchangeable Ca, Mg and K. Therefore, in remote areas where lime is expensive or unavailable, chicken manure can be used as an alternative for correcting soil acidity. Furthermore, it helps reduce pollution or disposal problems from the poultry industry.
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