Changes of soil agrichemical characteristics in pastures influenced by mineral fertilizing

Abstract

Grasslands fertilizing is used for increasing of forage yields and quality and simultaneously for soil fertility maintenance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of mineral fertilizing on basic agrichemical soil characteristics (pH, available nutrients) and soil organic matter at grazing exploitation of grasslands. 60 kg N.ha−1 was applied in the year of experiment establishment and 90 kg N, 30 kg P a 90 kg K ha−1 in each of following four years. Significantly higher pH (+0.17), available P (+48.5%), K (+15.4%) and organic C (+8.8%) content was found at fertilized treatment. pH value varied significantly during experiment period (range 0.6) and correlated inversely with proportion of white clover in first cut (r = −0.499). Although available K in soil was only on satisfactory level (less than good), K concentration in the forage was even from unfertilized plots higher than physiological requirement of plants. Available nutrient content constitutes only small proportion of total nutrient content: 5.1% at P, 2.1% at K, 12.0% at Mg and 39.0% at Ca.

Keywords

• soil pH
• soil organic matter
• phosphorus
• potassium
• calcium
• magnesium