The sulfur content in soil after application of composted materials containing foils

Abstract

The aim of the research was to assess the content of total and assimilable forms of sulphur in soil after application of composted materials with the addition of polyethylene and corn starch foils. The experimental design consisted of 7 treatments carried out in 3 replications on two soils: 0 – non-fertilized soil, NPK – soil fertilized with mineral fertilizers, K1 – soil fertilized with composted material without the addition of foil, K2 – soil fertilized with composted material with the addition of foil A (which included 47.5% polyethylene C + 45% corn starch + 7.5% compatibilizer), K3 – soil fertilized with composted material with the addition of foil B (which included 65% polyethylene C + 30% corn starch + 5% compatibilizer), K4 – soil fertilized with composted material with the addition of foil C (which included 65% polyethylene C + 30% corn starch + 5% compatibilizer and copolymer), and K5 – soil fertilized with composted material with the addition of foil C and microbiological inoculum. The experiments were conducted in soils with the granulometric composition of light loam and medium loam. Cock’s-foot was the test plant. The mean yield of Dactylis glomerata L., collected from the treatments located in soil with the granulometric composition of light loam, was between 1.4 and 2.4 Mg d.m. ha and between 1.8 and 3.6 Mg d.m. ha for treatments conducted in soil with the granulometric composition of medium loam. Total S content was determined after sample mineralization in a chamber furnace at 450C for 8 h, after prior binding of sulphur sulfate Mg(NO3)2. Assimilable forms of S were extracted with solution of 0.03 mol dm CH3COOH. The S content in the obtained solutions and extracts was determined using the ICP-OES method. The highest content of total forms of sulphur was determined in soil with the granulometric composition of medium loam, to which composted materials K3 and K4 (220 mgS kg d.m. of soil) were introduced. The content of assimilable forms of sulphur ranged from 8.3 to 12.9 mgS kg d.m. of soil in the case of treatments located in soil with the granulometric composition of light loam, and from 13.1 to 17.4 mgS kg d.m. of soil for medium loam treatments.