Chemical and Microbiological Changes Resulting from Biodegradation of Certain Organic Conditioners in Soil

Abstract

A pot experiment was designed to study the effect of supplementation of soil with 3 organic conditioners, saw dust, peat moss and hygromull. Changes in carbon and nitrogen contents as well as in various microbiological groups were followed throughout an incubation period of 16 weeks at 25-30C. Soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total colony counts, azotobacters, N2-fixing clostridia, fungi and actinomycetes were greatly affected in presence of wide than of narrow C/N ratio organic conditioners. Changes depended primarily upon the nature of the material applied but not on its C/N ratio.