107(3)_str26

 

ISSN 1392-3196 / e-ISSN 2335-8947
Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, vol. 107, No. 3 (2020), p. 203–208
DOI 10.13080/z-a.2020.107.026

Which land use is better suited to increase the fertility of ex-arable sandy soils?

Asta KAZLAUSKAITE-JADZEVICE, Liudmila TRIPOLSKAJA, Jonas VOLUNGEVICIUS,
Eugenija BAKSIENE

Abstract

The land surface of the European continent is dominated by loamy sand and sand, and soils of this texture are usually characterised by very low agronomic value. Land use change in coarse textured soils affects the agro-chemical properties and helps to assess their impacts on soil fertility. The present study investigated the effects of conversion of arable soil to managed grassland, abandoned land and pine-afforested land on the agro-chemical properties of an Endocalcaric Cambic Arenosol.

In the temperate climatic zone, it is expedient to convert low-productivity soils into fertilised, managed grassland to stop soil degradation: during 21 years, Corg content increased by 15.7% in the A horizon and provided the opportunity to regulate soil nutrient elements and acidity. Abandoned land formation on arable land improved soil fertility: during 21 years, Corg content increased by 24.4% in the A horizon, but K content in this horizon decreased due to the leaching. The establishment of pine-afforested land on sandy soil stimulated eluvial processes, increased soil acidity and decreased the amount of nutrients and organic carbon content.

Key words: available nutrients, land use conversion, organic carbon, soil acidity.

Full text: 107_3_str26.pdf