THE EFFECTS OF TEA WASTES ON SOIL ENZYME ACTIVITY AND NITRIFICATION

Abstract

The research was carried out on tea wastes supplied from factories of General Directorate of Tea Enterprises. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of composted, enriched composted tea wastes along with coarse and fine tea wastes released by tea factories processing raw tea leaves into black tea, on soil enzyme activity and nitrification. Tea wastes were applied to pots of 200 g-soil capacity, at the rate of 0 %, 2.5 % and 5.0 % of the pot capacity in addition, 200 µg/g N, in the form of ammonia sulphate, was given to each pot. Soils were analysed for enzyme activities at the end of 1., 7., 14., and 28. day of incubation. Amount of NH+4 N and NO-3 N were determined for nitrification at the end of 1., 7., 14. and 28. day of incubation. Urease enzyme activity increased, depending on coarse and fine tea waste doses at the incubation periods of 1., 2. and 3. weeks, but decrease was monitored at 4.. week of the incubation. Whereas, alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity increased throughout the incubation period. The amount of NH+4 N in the soil diminished depending on different tea wastes and doses, yet NO -3 N in the soil showed no significant augmentation.

Keywords

• Çay atığı, Üreaz enzimi, Alkali fosfataz enzimi, Toprak, Nitrifikasyon