Zinc Transformation in a Calcareous Soil as Affected by Applied Zinc Sulfate, Vermicompost, and Incubation Time

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of zinc (Zn) rates and vermicompost levels on distribution of Zn forms of a calcareous soil. After incubation periods, soil samples were air dried, and a sequential extraction scheme was used to fractionate Zn into soluble and exchangeable, bound to carbonate, organically bound, bound to manganese (Mn) oxide, bound to amorphous iron (Fe) oxide, bound to crystalline Fe oxide, and residual forms. In untreated soil, Zn was mainly in the residual fraction. Increasing rates of applied Zn significantly increased all forms of Zn. Carbonate and residual forms showed the greatest increase. Application of vermicompost significantly increased all fractions except Mn-oxide form. This increase was more pronounced for organically bound, soluble, and exchangeable forms, indicating an increase in bioavailability of soil Zn. Incubation time significantly decreased soluble, exchangeable, and organically bound forms but increased other forms of Zn, meaning a significant reduction in Zn phytoavailability in soil with time.

Zinc Fractions in Differently-Textured Soils of Southern Punjab (Pakistan) and Status of Zinc in Flag Leaves of Wheat

“…The average total Zn in the studied soils (Table 2) was within the range reported in calcareous soils of Pakistan (Hussain et al, 2011). The ranges of Zn in soil Zn fractions observed in the study (Table 2) are in agreement with previous reports (Kamali et al,2010)who also obtained highest Zn concentration in the structural fraction and lowest in exchangeable fraction. The greater percentage of structural Zn among fractions indicated greater tendency of Zn to become unavailable to plants (Ramzan et al, 2014).…”

Distribution of Zinc Fractions and Its Association with Soil Properties in Some Rice-Wheat Growing Soils of Jammu Region, India

“…This being the residual fraction represents metals which are largely embedded in sedimentary matrix and might not be available for remobilization except under very extreme conditions (Mao and Rao, 1997). Similar results of residual Zn consisting of large proportions of total Zn was also reported by Singh, (2011) and Kamali et al, (2010).…”

Effects of zeolite and vermicompost applications on potassium release from calcareous soils

“…These minerals have been increasingly used for soil remediation (Herwijnen et al 2007), land erodibility control (Andry et al 2009), soil properties improvement (Filcheva & Tsadilas 2002), and nitrogen use efficiency (Tarkalson & Ippolito 2011;Aghaalikhani et al 2012) in recent decades. Vermicomposts are also organic soil amendments that have been successfully used for improvement of soil physical, chemical and biological properties and thereby increasing crop yield (Kamali et al 2010;Kalantari et al 2011;Nada et al 2011).…”