Changes in some soil properties at different incubation periods after tobacco waste application

Abstract

In this study, changes in organic carbon (OC), basal soil respiration (BSR), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), electrical conductivity (EC) and aggregate stability (AS) of a clay loam soil due to tobacco waste (TOW) application were monitored for 240 days. After incorporating 5% TO into soil according to oven dry weight basis, soil samples were incubated at field capacity for 20, 40, 80, 140 and 240 days under a greenhouse condition. TOW application significantly increased all soil properties over the control treatment. Soil CC and AS values had significant positive correlations each other and with the other soil properties. Soil CC, BSR and AS values significantly increased from 0.12%, 0.03 mu g CO2-C g(-1) dry soil 24 hr and 20.7% in control treatment to 1.13%, 3.7 mu g CO2-C g(-1) dry soil 24 hr and 54.4% in TOW treatment, respectively in 20 days. While the highest NO3-N (1780 ppm) was found in 40 days, the highest EC (3.35 dS m(-1)) was in 240 days after TOW application. Disaggregation occurred in all treatments after 20 days of incubation due to probably the more substrate demands of microorganisms in soil.