Comparative analysis of grassland improvement methods

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This study's main goal was to learn more about the management of grasslands using plant conditioners and natural soil amendments, as well as any potential benefits or applications for these goods and materials in raising the health and productivity of grasslands. In Hungary, near Karcag, two small-plot experiments were established on a natural pasture. To improve the habitat for the grasses and restore the pasture's deficient soil qualities, varying amounts of wood ash and organic manure were given to the soil. Algomel Push and Agroptim Sunset, two products, were used in combination as plant conditioners in another small-plot trial. The results were compared to untreated control and liquid nitrogen with a 30% N-content. Three repetitions of the soil reclamation experiment were conducted on 2x12 plots, each with a net plot area of 30 m2 and 0.5 m access roads. In autumn 2022, the plots were covered with wood ash in doses of 0, 10, 20, and 30 g m-2 and organic manure in doses of 0, 10, 15, and 20 t ha-1. On a 0.01 hectare area, the plant conditioning experiment was conducted. April 27, 2023, saw the setup of the experiment. Using an injectable syringe, the evaluated plant conditioners were dosed at 4 mL (4 L/ha) and diluted to 2 L with water. Using a backpack sprayer, the agent-containing solutions were evenly distributed across the treated plots. In addition,the control plots were sprayed with clean water (2 L/plot).

The following parameters were determined: total green biomass yields, soil pH, electrical conductivity, carbon dioxide emission from the soil, and species composition of the grasses by coenology analysis.

In the ash application experiment, the treatments failed to increase the topsoil's actual soil moisture content during the summer, and by October, the differences had significantly decreased. Similar connections were found for the manure application experiment. I came to the conclusion that the addition of manure and ash to the topsoil in my experiment did not considerably increase its actual soil moisture content.

In the summer, neither of the treatments raised the pH of the topsoil. By October, the effects of the treatments were apparent: both the ash and manure applications were associated with higher pH values, indicating that these soil amendments had a positive effect on the topsoil's pH, shifting it toward a less acidic range. However, under the studied conditions, this positive effect could only be determined in the fall.

The tested amendments even raised the soil EC after application, suggesting that my hypothesis—that applications of wood ash and organic manure result in the lower salt content of the topsoil (A horizon) due to the increased chance for leaching during the investigated period—should be rejected. The actual soil salt content of the topsoil was not decreased by the treatments.

In terms of soil respiration, I proved that applying wood ash and organic manure increases the amount of microbiological activity and root respiration in the topsoil; however, in the conditions I researched, this beneficial effect could only be determined in the fall.

The effects of applying wood ash and manure on the grassland's green biomass were found to be controversial. While the highest dose of wood ash resulted in a yield depression, the highest dose of manure produced a significant yield rise. Comparing the lower doses to the untreated control, however, revealed no or just mildly adverse effects. I think more information is required to determine the relationship between the grassland's green biomass and the application of these natural soil amendments.

The green biomass of the grassland was increased by all the plant conditioner treatments. Based on these results. My findings suggest that the use of Algomel Push plant conditioner has a good potential to increase the green biomass of grasslands with similar conditions.

I could figure out the obvious effect of the treatments on one grass species, namely meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis), which doubled its coverage on the treated plots, while got less dominant on the untreated plots. The invasion of voles basically influenced the change in the coenose of the investigated pasture suppressing the effect of the treatments.

Leírás
Kulcsszavak
soil amendments, plant conditioning, soil moisture, green biomass, soil pH.Electrical Condutivity, carbon dioxide emission
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