IMPACT OF SOIL TREATMENT WITH ZEOLITIC VOLCANIC TUFF

Abstract

The paper presents the effect of zeolitic volcanic tuff on soil fertility as a consequence of treating soil with zeolitic tuff supplies (clinoptilolite rich tuff). This high silicon tuff type and the essential features of the clinoptilolite has generated in time changes in soil properties like soil reaction, an effective pH buffering, increase of water absorption and cation exchange properties. The effect of using three different doses of zeolitic volcanic tuff, with and without ammonium nitrate addition as fertilizer, on acid soils was assessed by means of physical and chemical soil parameters, biomass and grain yields. The pH increase of soil treated by zeolitic volcanic tuff alone or mixed with ammonium nitrate confirmed the buffering effect and suggested the opportunity of using zeolitic volcanic tuff for conditioning and remedying acid soils. An increase of soil humidity and the enrich of calcium, magnesium and potassium content in soil was also observed. The analysis of extractable mineral content showed the contribution of zeolitic tuff on increasing soil mineral content and fertility. Global soil fertility enhance, particularly in the neighborhood of the rhizosphere, was reflected also by biomass and grain yields increase. The obtained results showed the benefit of using zeolitic volcanic tuff in conjunction with ammonium nitrate to restore the fertility of low fertile soils. The usefulness of this paper is to inform about the zeolitic volcanic tuff features and its action as soil treatment on soil quality. The importance of this research lies in presenting a technology to restore soils with low fertility using a rather cheap natural resource and an alternative for practicing an ecological agriculture.