Impact of flue gas desulfurization gypsum and lignite humic acid application on soil organic matter and physical properties of a saline-sodic farmland soil in Eastern China

• Published in: Journal of soils and sediments 2016-09, Vol.16 (9), p.2175-2185
• Main Authors: Nan, Jiangkuan, Chen, Xiaomin, Chen, Can, Lashari, Muhammad Siddique, Deng, Jianqiang, Du, Zhenjie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agricultural practices; Air pollution control; Clay loam; Coastal zone; Crop production; Crop rotation; Desulfurization; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Physics; Flue gas; Flue gas desulfurization; Gypsum; Humic acids; Land management; Leaching; Lignite; Organic matter; Physical properties; Pollution control equipment; Porosity; Regression analysis; Retention capacity; Sec 1 • Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling • Research Article; Soil depth; Soil fertility; Soil organic matter; Soil quality; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil sciences; Soils; Water content
• ISSN: 1439-0108; 1614-7480
• DOI: 10.1007/s11368-016-1419-0

Purpose Appropriate land management is important for improving the soil quality and productivity of the saline-sodic farmland. A recent study has revealed that flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and lignite humic acid application enhanced the salt leaching and crop production. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of applied FGD gypsum and lignite humic acid (powder) on the soil organic matter (SOM) content and physical properties. Materials and methods This study was based on a field experiment of five consecutive rapeseed-maize rotations in a saline-sodic farmland soil (Aquic Halaquepts) at coastal area of North Jiangsu Province, China. The soil is sandy clay loam texture with pH of 8.43 and clay content of 185 g kg −1 . Six treatments included three FGD gypsum rates (0, 1.6, and 3.2 Mg ha −1 ) and two lignite humic acid rates (0 and 1.5 Mg ha −1 ). The amendments were incorporated into 0–20 cm soil depth manually every year. Soil samples were collected from each treatment and analyzed for soil organic matter, water-stable aggregates (wet sieving method), bulk density (clod method), water retention capacity (pressure plate apparatus), total porosity (calculated from bulk density and particle density), and microporosity (calculated from water content at 0.01 MPa). Results and discussion After 5 years, the SOM and soil physical properties were significantly ( P